Folded Hands
by jam2599
Summary: AU. ZabuzaHaku. Slave fic. Zabuza is a wandering ninja and Haku is the new slave he bought to teach the ninja arts. Rated for past NCS, sexual themes, violence, mostly for slavery.
1. Chapter 1

Folded Hands, Chapter One

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

Note: This story takes place in a semi-alternate universe. The background is that the world is divided into several countries (like in Naruto) but there aren't ninja villages, really.

The terms "ninja" and "nin" are used loosely here.

Also, I made Haku a little older than he was in the anime. I mean, come on. He's like gotta be at least 17.

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Zabuza was nothing but a harsh man. At the age of twenty-four, he made his living as an assassin and a doer of no good. The water country was full of criminals; some were his targets, others his clients. He had worked alone for several years, and he enjoyed solitude and freedom.

His last job had brought him to an area near the village Miyuki which was known for its slave trade. Zabuza had little interest in slaves—he would have enjoyed an apprentice more. His own water-manipulating abilities and physical prowess made him an ideal teacher, if it were not for his temper. He wished, sometimes, when he passed by temples, that he could have a student just to pass on his techniques, and maybe to take away his loneliness. His antisocial behavior ended that small dream, and Zabuza was mostly content to simply live and die, doing as he wished.

There was an auction that day, though, and he stopped to watch for a while.

It was a rainy day. He saw through the misty air that the auction area was packed with bidders, mostly middle aged men who were looking for cheap field help or apprentices. Similarly, most of the slaves up for auction were boys at the end of their teen years.

The auctioneer began to call for the next slave.

"This next one is a boy named Haku," he said, motioning to a young man with long black hair, his head down. The rain had soaked through his grey clothing, but he fought not to shiver.

A few bidders talked amongst themselves nearby.

"That's a girl!"

"Well, the auctioneer said it was a boy."

"The program said that only boys would be offered today anyway."

Zabuza knew that the crowd would have been a little different if girls had been offered, and also that buying a girl that day would be considered "lucky"—the price would probably be lower than on the days that the local brothels were present.

The ruckus reached the auctioneer, and he squinted at Haku before asking him a question in a low tone. Haku kept his eyes to the floor and answered quietly, and the auctioneer said, "Yes, this one is a boy." He started to read from the description he'd been given.

"Haku, age seventeen, price 200."

_200?_ Zabuza thought. _Most of the others were going for at least 1000. _This also caused a ruckus, and the auctioneer shouted over the many bidders who wanted the chance to buy such a cheap slave.

"It seems that he killed his last master. Drowned him, and broke his neck to be safe." The auctioneer sized up Haku's thin body and laughed. "Don't know how, though. Maybe he didn't feed him enough."

He edged closer to Haku and asked him, "Did you kill your last master?"

The boy cast his eyes towards the auctioneer without looking at him and said, "Yes, I did." His voice was soft and hopeless, showing no shame or pride in the murder he had committed.

"There you have it. Two hundred for a slave badly in need of training." This earned a few laughs from the crowd.

Zabuza pondered. None of the bidders were interested anymore, and he certainly had enough money to through away a measly two hundred on a slave. He still wondered how such a spare child could have killed a grown man.

He knew, though, that there would be little good in purchasing a slave.

The auctioneer became a little annoyed when no one bidded on Haku. He had apparently decided to keep the audience entertained by deriding the young man, though.

"So," he started in an amused tone. "Is there anything you can do?"

Haku kept his eyes down. "Not really." he said in a dejected voice.

"Then what did your last master use you for?"

His only response was the slight slumping of his shoulders. He didn't answer.

"Hm? That bad?" the auctioneer chuckled. "Well, you do look an awful lot like a girl…"

Several other men in the crowd laughed at Haku's expense, and Zabuza continued to watch passively.

The auctioneer turned back to the crowd. "Alright, I'll lower the price. One hundred and fifty for a slave badly in need of training. Pretty face! Doesn't put up much of a fight!" He turned to Haku. "Say, what did your master do to make you kill him? You really don't seem like you have much in you."

Haku kept his eyes averted, not seeking help from the crowd. The auctioneer was desperate by then, and he said, "Alright! Tough crowd today. One hundred, final offer. And, whoever buys him can order him to tell me just what it was that he did!"

The auctioneer paced around the stage, and Zabuza reconsidered. If the boy could cook, at least, then he'd be worth THAT much. One hundred could buy him a new shirt at best.

But still, there was nothing about him, nothing special. The young man looked ready to die.

The auctioneer snapped at Haku. "Help me out here." He grabbed his grey robe and shook him. "You're really not worth anything, then, are you?"

"I guess not."

This response earned him a hard shove to the wet floor of the stage, but he stood again and kept his eyes down as he was supposed to.

Zabuza had always had keen eyes—hell, in his line of work, that was a necessity—so he noticed the slave's eyes traveling surreptitiously towards the auctioneer's feet. The rain water around his feet suddenly formed a smooth sheet and he slipped in the muddy water, twisting his ankle.

Zabuza's eyes widened in surprise. _That boy is a water nin._

Haku smiled ever so slightly and then forced the dejected look back to his face as the auctioneer stood and cursed.

"Is there anyone out there who wants this kid?" He called out irritably. "He's just going to hang for his crime if no one buys him."

Zabuza had never been the type to say, "don't waste food" or "don't waste money" or "don't waste life", but at the moment all that he could think about was that little act of defiance, the act that no one had seen or understood. If the boy was a water nin, then Zabuza could train him, make him stronger, and use him for his work. It didn't matter that other slaves there would hang, or be killed in other ways, if they were unsellable.

It was not out of kindness that Zabuza decided to buy the slave. That would never change.

He raised his hand then, called the auctioneer's attention to himself. The man stared at him for a moment and asked, "Man with the bandaged face? Are you bidding on this slave?"

Zabuza grunted. "Looks like it. Just one hundred, right?"

The auctioneer's face lit up, and he asked the crowd, "Any other bids? No? Sold!"

As soon as the word was said, Haku looked up at his new master. A little bit of surprise brightened his expression, and made him look confused, afraid, and expectant. This man was younger than the others had been, and looked stronger.

Haku knew that any man willing to buy a murderer like himself must have belonged to the underside of life. His apparent strength reinforced this—the man was probably a murderer or criminal himself.

The auctioneer pulled him offstage and back to the hall where the sold slaves were held. He was told to wait for his master to come claim him.

Haku sat down and folded his hands neatly over his knees.

_I wonder how long I'll stay with this master_, he thought. He kept his eyes downcast and listened to the other slaves around him. Some cried, and some sat in a position identical to Haku's not moving nor feeling.

Minutes later, he saw the shadow of his new master at his feet, and he looked up. The man had hard, dark eyes, skin darker than Haku's, short black hair, and the bottom half of his face was covered in bandages. Haku guessed that the man wore the bandages to hide his face rather than to protect an injury.

Haku also saw that the man was carrying a large sword, and he did not know what to think of that.

He watched his master's face, waiting for a command. The man studied Haku for a moment and said, "Let's go."

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The rainfall had turned into a storm as Zabuza lead the kid to his temporary home. Haku was able to keep up with him most of the time; Zabuza glanced over his shoulder every so often to make sure he hadn't run off or gotten lost in the crowd. Each time, he only saw the young man following him, his eyes on his back and his expression loose.

He chose not to talk to him during the walk home. There was nothing worth saying to him, really. He had forgotten the kid's name, but he could ask that later. He wasn't in a hurry to talk to the kid or learn about him.

They arrived at Zabuza's small house before nightfall, and Haku silently followed him inside after he had walked in. He took off his shoes and noticed that he was dripping water all over the floor, but his master said nothing about it.

Instead, the man grunted, "Stay here," as he crossed the main room of the house, then entered the bedroom and shut the door. Haku wondered if his master had thought of clothing for him, or if he intended to make him stay in his wet clothes, or…

He shuddered as he remembered his last master. He knew what that man would have had him do in such a situation.

A small puddle of rainwater had formed around his feet when his master exited the bedroom, wearing dry clothing and carrying a few towels. He handed one to Haku, and said, "There's a washroom on the right." He pointed to the door. "Go wash up, and tell me when you're done."

Nothing about clothing. Haku said, "Yes, master," and followed the command he'd been given. Zabuza liked the sound of that—and he was glad he didn't have to tell the slave what he should call him.

The washroom consisted of a bathtub, a sink, a mirror, a cabinet and a toilet. Haku quickly took this all in, and was silently glad that this room looked cleaner than the rest of the house. He removed the wet grey robes he was wearing, leaving them on the floor as he started his bath. He hoped that his master meant that he could run a bath, and not that he was just supposed to clean himself with a towel. When the man did not come to the door and shout at him, Haku decided that he had made the right choice.

He bathed quickly and wrapped the towel around his waist. After inspecting the main room of the house and the kitchen, he walked up to his master's door and knocked softly.

"Are you done?" was the response.

"Yes, master."

Haku heard shuffling noises, and his master opened the door. He noticed that his master's room was messier than the main room, but tried not to make judgments from that.

Zabuza was surprised to see that he looked even better after the bath—he hadn't thought the slave had been so bad off when he was dirty—and decided that he really had been a good buy. Attractive slaves usually belonged to the rich, after all. If he actually had behavioral problems, Zabuza knew how to correct them.

He left the slave standing in the doorway as he looked in his closet for suitable clothing. The kid was a full foot shorter than he was, and he knew that none of his clothing would fit him. There were, however, a few articles of clothing left in the closet from the house's previous owners, and one of them was a yukata that looked about Haku's size. It was also pink, and Zabuza knew that it may have once belonged to a girl, but he doubted that he slave cared.

Zabuza handed the garment to Haku. "Go change," he said and shut the door.

Haku looked down at the yukata for a moment, glad that his master had given him clothing after all. He knew that he had taken a risk when he admitted at the auction that he had no skills, as unskilled slaves were often used for carnal purposes.

Zabuza heard another soft knock on his door a few moments later, and he saw that the kid had in fact changed into the yukata. He looked fairly girlish, but it was only a temporary solution so Zabuza simply filed the thought into the "funny shit" part of his mind.

He realized that the young man had no place to sleep (not in his room, at least) so he gestured to the living room.

"There's a couch in there. Clean off a place for yourself. There are also some blankets in a closet in the hallway." He pointed to the closet, and then looked into Haku's eyes.

"If you run off, I will find you. If you try to attack me, I will retaliate. If you ever disobey me, I will beat you." He saw that the slave's expression had not changed. "Now go to sleep," he ordered as he shut his door.

Haku said softly, "Yes, master," and Zabuza heard him through the door.

_I'll ask him about his abilities tomorrow. Maybe I'll be able to sell him off somewhere if I was wrong about him. _

As he fell asleep, Haku curled up on the couch, hungry and nervous. He wondered what his first real order would be.

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	2. Chapter 2

Folded Hands, Chapter Two

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

UPDATED DUE TO AN 'ERROR'—THANKS FOR CATCHING THE 'GIRL' THING, Chubby-King-Chococo

THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS DARKRINI

Also, another note: technology in Naruto is weird. They could have computers for all I know. Therefore, I've included some such advanced gadgetry as stoves, zippers, etc.

In response to my one review so far—no, I will not make Haku girly. Hell no, that's not how he was, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. Haku is a guy; his looks have nothing to do with his personality or masculinity. Please look forward to a Haku that has a lot in common with the Haku from Naruto.

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When Zabuza awoke, he found that Haku had not in fact ran away, and that he had cleaned up the living room somewhat. Zabuza was happily surprised that the young man did not seem to need orders for everything he might want from him—hell, he hadn't even thought of telling him to clean his place up and there he was, sweeping the floor. Zabuza also noticed that Haku must have found the place where he kept his food, because a pot of stew was simmering on the stove.

Haku stopped sweeping as soon as he saw Zabuza, then leaned the broom he'd been using against the wall and waited for Zabuza to talk, arms at his sides. Zabuza used the pause to look around the house to fully appreciate what Haku had done.

He also noticed that the young man was still wearing the pink yukata—there was nothing else, was there?—and he was glad that his face was still bandaged as usual as it aided him in hiding a smile. "Funny shit", indeed.

Now, what the hell was his name again?

He looked at…whatever his name was…for a few seconds, and his piercing gaze was met with a bland stare. Whatever.

"Kid."

"Yes, master?"

"You like wearing pink?"

His slave stared at him for a moment, probably wondering if the question was a trap. Zabuza cracked a smile, which he knew the kid may have been able to make out through the bandages. He hadn't intended for the question to be a trap, but he didn't take it back.

After a few minutes, his slave answered, "All colors are the same. I'll be glad to wear whatever you have for me."

Damn. Whether he knew it or not, he had implied that Zabuza didn't have enough money to buy him something else. Haku seemed to realize this, but didn't apologize.

The past few years of Haku's life had taught him that apologies and explanations only infuriated his masters.

Zabuza laughed lightly. "Whatever. I'll get you something else after we eat breakfast." He walked towards the pot and reached for the lid.

Without a sound or a warning, Haku crossed the distance between them and knocked his master's hand away. When Zabuza stared at him, he said softly, "Don't. You'll burn your hand." He calmly lifted the lid from the pot using a towel, and showed the stew to his master for his inspection.

Instead, Zabuza continued to stare at his slave. The kid hadn't disobeyed him, but he HAD knocked his hand, which was similar to attacking him…ah, hell.

"Kid." Zabuza said firmly. "If I ever decide to do something, don't stop me. I won't punish you this time, but don't do it again."

Haku nodded and lowered his eyes. "Yes, master," he said softly.

Zabuza kept his gaze on Haku's face for another moment to emphasize the point, and then looked at the stew. It was normal food, maybe even good. The kid was already worth the money.

"When will it be done?"

Haku kept his eyes lowered. "In a few minutes."

Zabuza nodded, and then walked back into the living room. "You did a good job this morning. Finish cleaning the house when we get back, but don't go into my room." He laid down on the couch to rest.

"Yes, master."

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He took Haku to a men's clothing store, and the man helping him gave him a strange look when he asked for clothing for Haku.

"He's a boy," was all that Zabuza said. The clerk looked at Haku again and said, "My apologies, young man. Right this way." He lead Haku away, and the young man did not look back over his shoulder at his master.

Zabuza realized that this was another opportunity for his slave to escape, but he only saw one door—the one behind him—so he took a chair by the door and waited.

Meanwhile, Haku followed the sales clerk towards the back of the store. He got a strange look from another customer because of his yukata, but paid no mind. His mind was preoccupied.

_What kind of clothing does he want me to buy? How many sets? How much money is he going to spend?_ He thought about the clothing he'd worn so far—the grey robe from the auction, and the pink yukata—and decided that, since his master hadn't said anything bad about them, that he would ask for similar clothing. He liked the looseness anyway, and the way that the extra material flowed.

The clerk stopped walking when they arrived at the back of the store, where several mirrors, cabinets, and dressing stalls were located.

"Take your clothes off," the clerk said as he searched for something in one of the drawers.

Haku's eyes narrowed. He decided that this was probably normal protocol for such a place, but, if the clerk…

He started to untie his yukata when the clerk turned around and jumped back a few feet. "In there," he said irritably as he pointed to a stall.

Haku's face reddened and he entered the stall.

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When the boy returned, Zabuza noticed that he was wearing a dark blue (boy's) yukata and was carrying a small package. He met his master with the same bland expression that seemed to never leave his pretty face.

Zabuza cursed when he realized that he had forgotten the kid's name again.

"Kid," he said in the same firm voice that let Haku know he'd made a mistake, "go find some more clothing. I don't want to have to come back here."

Haku started to turn around, then hesitated and faced his master.

"How much can I spend?"

"I don't know, just don't come back until you've got enough to wear for a week or two," he said irritably. Zabuza leaned against the wall, and added, "Hurry."

Haku nodded. "Yes, master." he said as he returned to the back of the store. He came back to his master twenty minutes later, carrying more packages. His master nodded and paid for the clothing.

As they walked home, Zabuza started to think about—what was his name? The kid, anyway. He'd thought the kid was pretty sharp, but maybe he wasn't…

Haku knew that he had disappointed his new master by misunderstanding his master's intentions. He decided to watch the man very carefully, so that he could learn about his needs and behavior with time. He did not want to have this master throw him away, like so many had before.

It was true that he was unskilled, and that he did not particularly care to learn any skill or trade—unless his new master wanted him to, of course. He did like his new master, because he was straightforward and seemed content with leaving Haku up to his own devices.

As they walked through town, Haku saw the auction area again. Girls were being sold that day, and the bidding area was full of representatives from the local brothels. Haku shuddered as he remembered that he had been sorted as a girl when he arrived at Miyuki, and that some of the auctioneers had suggested as selling him with the girls even after he had told them that he was a boy.

He already knew of that kind of life, and, as he watched the girls on stage cry, he felt as much sympathy for them as he felt happy for himself that he was not going to another place like that.

Haku turned his eyes back to his master. The man had not looked at his body or made any comments about him, so he doubted that he had been bought for such purposes. He still didn't know why Zabuza had bought him, though.

Zabuza didn't look at the auction area. He kept his eyes forward, stealing glances at Haku every now and then to make sure he wasn't planning his escape. He didn't seem to have any such hopes, though. He'd probably been a slave for his entire life, and had already tried to escape several times. Zabuza could imagine it—the kid as a skinny six year old, trying to run from home and being dragged back crying. Maybe doing it again at age ten, and having the dogs set on him.

That sort of thing would kill anyone inside.

He looked back at Haku again, and saw that his eyes were fixed on the back of his master's head. He looked like he had something to say, but Zabuza didn't feel like talking to him, so he ignored it.

"Master," Haku said softly.

_Damn it_.

"What is it?" he barked, and he stopped walking to face his slave.

"A-a lot of the stalls here are having sales," he said softly but rather evenly. "I saw that you were running low on food at home, so I thought that maybe you would like to shop now, Master."

Zabuza looked around. He'd never really cared about 'sales'—it was women who usually got excited over that sort of thing—and he earned enough money from his 'odd jobs' to not have to care about such things.

He looked back at Haku's face; his expression had turned from blank to expectant.

_He's trying to be helpful. _Zabuza realized. He didn't really care for shopping, though.

"Kid—what's your name again?"

"Haku, master."

"Haku, do you remember what I told you last night?"

"Yes, master."

"What was it?"

Haku looked a little unsure, but said, "If I run away or disobey you, you'll find me and beat me."

Zabuza smiled underneath his bandages. "Yes, that's right. Now, with that in mind," he said as he pulled a few gold coins out of his pocket, "give me that stuff we bought for you. You can do the shopping and meet me back at the house."

He handed Haku a handful of money, and Haku closed his hand around it protectively.

"You know where the house is, right?"

"Yes, master."

Zabuza wasn't sure if he just wanted to see it, but his slave's face seemed to have brightened a little.

Haku bowed politely and said, "I'll return soon, master." He walked back to one of the stalls he'd been looking at earlier.

As Zabuza returned home, he wondered if letting Haku do the shopping had been a good idea—after all, giving a slave money and some distance was like asking to be robbed. He didn't doubt that he could find Haku if he ran, though, so he didn't hesitate on his walk home.

He needed to prepare for Haku's training later that night.

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Haku stared at the money in his hands. He wondered if his master ever wondered where his money went.

He realized that the large amount of money may have been a test—maybe his master wanted to see how little he could spend, or maybe he wanted to see if Haku would try to keep the leftover money or spend it on things for himself.

Haku slid the gold coins into his pocket. He'd made up his mind—he would spend frugally and be sure not to lose any money. He didn't want his master to become disappointed in him again.

As he shopped, he felt eyes on his back. Without looking, he knew that he was being followed. Haku had been gifted with keen senses, a sharp mind, and that horrible power that he'd tried so hard to hide from his masters. He was used to being followed when his master sent him out to do errands. He knew that he looked like a thin, defenseless girl, and he had been attacked several times when shopping for former masters.

The man following did not make his move right away, and Haku's heart started to beat faster. He knew that no one would help him if he was attacked, and he couldn't stand to make Zabuza disappointed by losing the money he'd given him…

Haku finished shopping quickly and began the walk home. As he'd expected, the man followed. The man did not try to hide himself, and he followed Haku by an ever-decreasing distance as they left the crowd.

He exited the town area and took a detour from the path to his master's house, not wishing to bring the problem to Zabuza. Instead, he walked towards a small pond that had grown from the previous day's storm.

The man saw his detour, and ran to catch up to him. Haku heard the sound of metal on leather and he knew that the man had a knife.

Haku set down the bag of groceries he was carrying, then turned to face the man. He was a little shorter than Zabuza, with messy brown hair. Haku's eyes caught the knife in his right hand, and he stared at the man.

"So," the man said, "I see that your man decided to let you do the shopping by yourself."

Haku did not respond. Inside, he was a little flattered that he had been mistaken as Zabuza's significant other (even if he had once again been mistaken for a girl), but he forced that thought back down. He decided to keep up the 'girl act' by not talking.

The man started to circle him. "Shy, are you? Not going to fight?" He smiled. "That's good. Those kinds of girls do well at the auctions."

Haku's eyes widened. _He wants to take me from my master!_ This was worse than being robbed…much worse.

"Now, if you'll just come this way, I know that you'll get along real nice--" the man tried to grab his arm and Haku knocked his arm away.

The man cursed and lunged for Haku. Haku dodged him and ran backwards a few feet, towards the lake.

"Cheeky piece of shit," the man said. Haku did not respond as he stood at the lake's edge.

He let the slaver close the distance between them, and said softly, "I don't want to come with you. I don't want anyone else to go with you, either."

The man laughed. "What did you say?"

"Please, if I may ask you of this…" Haku waited for an interjection. "…if you go to Heaven, tell my mother I love her. If you go to Hell…" he lowered his eyes.

Haku focused his attention on the water behind him. He created a crude, amorphous water clone that stood behind his back, waiting.

"No, please go to Hell," he said softly.

The slaver was infuriated, and he walked up to Haku and lifted him by the front of his robe. Haku kept his eyes averted, focusing on the clone.

"I don't know what kind of shit you're talking about, but I ain't going to Hell because some girl told me to."

"Oh?" Haku said softly. "Then you're not much of a gentleman." He smiled to himself.

The slaver threw him to the ground and Haku felt his ankle twist. He closed his eyes as his hidden water clone pulled the man into the pond, then stood and watched as he was drowned.

Haku decided not to move the body. Men like that probably died all the time, anyway, and no one knew of his powers, so no one would suspect him.

He picked up his bag of groceries and ran home to see his master. He would definitely keep his powers a secret from him.

_This one is much better._

Little did he expect the surprise his master had planned.

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	3. Chapter 3

Folded Hands, Chapter Three

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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When Haku returned home, he saw that his master's door was closed. He decided to leave his master alone for a while, and began to put the groceries away.

Haku heard the door to his master's room open then, finished what he was doing and turned to face his master with his arms at his sides.

Zabuza greeted him with a grunt from across the room, and said "Come outside when you're done. There's something I need to talk to you about."

Haku nodded and added, "Yes, master," before he returned to the groceries. Anxiety rose in his stomach. Did his master somehow know what he had done? Or, was this related to something else? He carefully laid the remaining money on the kitchen counter so as to not risk losing it. He had to make sure that he could at least past _that _test, if it had been a test. He then joined his master outside.

He saw that his master was waiting under a tree, on the path to a nearby forest.

"Follow me," he said gruffly. Haku nodded and walked after his master.

Zabuza was secretly happy that the kid had returned so quickly and hadn't seemed to have any trouble shopping by himself. He realized that the feeling was similar to teaching a dog a trick, and having the dog perform it over and over again. Of course, Haku's loyalty was much more importance than said dog's obedience.

The forest thickened, and Haku began to wonder where his master was leading him. He decided to try to not think about it—his ideas were probably more frightening than the reality.

The path lead to a small clearing, in the middle of which was a lake. Zabuza stopped at the shore and turned to his slave.

"Have you figured out what I do for a living?" He asked.

Haku hesitated before answering, "No, master."

"Did you wonder?"

"No, master."

Zabuza nodded. "I thought as much. I'm a wandering ninja. I kill people for a living."

Haku's eyes widened. He wondered for a moment if his master was telling this to reinforce the threats he had made earlier—was he about to punish him for something?

His master smiled when he saw the change in Haku's expression, and he continued. "I'm a water nin, which means that I know a variety of fighting techniques employing water." He studied Haku's face.

"Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

"No, master."

"Really?" Zabuza smiled. Nervousness began to build inside of Haku, and he would have thought of running from his master if he had not already learned the consequences of running or disobeying his past masters.

Zabuza continued when Haku didn't answer. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"N-no, master."

"Are you telling the truth?"

Haku looked uneasy. He was torn inside, that much was obvious to Zabuza, but he didn't know why.

_Master wants me to…he wants to know if I…I don't want to be thrown away or punished for it. My other masters hated it when I…did those things…so I kept it a secret…_

"Haku?"

His attention snapped back to his master, who was waiting for an answer. "Yes," he finally said.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, master."

"No." Zabuza walked up to him, and Haku stared back at his master's cold, dark eyes and bandaged face. "Yes, are you telling the truth, or no, are you lying?"

Haku swallowed nervously. "I'm telling the truth, master. I don't know anything about that."

There was an overwhelming fear of being discovered, of being punished, and Zabuza saw it.

"Haku," he said firmly. He studied the kid's face, waiting for him to cave under the pressure of the interrogation. "You honestly don't know anything about water jutsu? About using water to kill people?"

His slave unconsciously took a step back, and said, "Y-yes, master. I don't know anything about water jutsu."

"How did you kill your last master?"

Haku lowered his eyes, the question as painful as his physical punishment could have been. "I…I drowned him."

"How?"

"I pushed his head under the water."

Zabuza laughed, and Haku lowered his head further. His master surprised him by pulling his left arm over his head, the sleeve of his new robe falling past his elbow, exposing his thin, pale arm.

"With this?" Zabuza asked, grinning under the bandages he wore. Haku did not attempt to pull his arm back, and Zabuza let go of him.

"Yes, master."

"Look at me."

Haku raised his eyes to see his master's face. The man's expression was somewhere between irritation and good humor. "Don't lie to me. You know how to use water jutsu, don't you?"

"No, master…I've never heard that 'j' word before." He said softly, afraid of speaking too loudly while his master looked directly at him.

"Jutsu? Well, then do you know how to make water move?"

"Like splashing?"

Zabuza caught Haku off-guard as he grabbed his arm again. Haku expected to be throw down, or beaten, or at least slapped for 'being clever'; instead, his master threw him towards the lake.

He landed on all fours about ten feet from the shore of the lake. He realized, as he caught himself, that the act of catching himself and of standing on water would prove to his master that he had lied to him, yes, but also that he had those horrible powers.

As he stood, he saw his master walk towards him across the surface of the lake.

_He's a monster like me,_ Haku thought hopelessly. He waited, his arms at his sides and fighting the urge to cry.

Even with his powers, he knew that he was far, far weaker than his new master.

Zabuza put his hands on Haku's shoulders and held him in place.

"You lied to me," he said.

Haku nodded, and he averted his eyes. "Yes, master." He was pushed back roughly, and he nearly fell.

"Why did you lie to me?" his master growled at him. Before he gave him a chance to respond, he asked, "Do you like being difficult?"

"No, master."

"Then why?"

"I--" The words caught in his throat. He stared at his master, unable to tell him why exactly—what it right to lie for such a reason? He felt guilty, lying just so that he could avoid punishment or abandonment, but he wanted to remain where he was so badly…

Zabuza glared at him. "Can you do anything else, besides walking on water and making people slip on stage?"

This last question surprised Haku so much that he blurted out, "You saw that?" before remembering his place. His looked away.

This was it. He could get away with this.

"No, master. That's all I can do."

He didn't know how much time passed then, as his master stared at him, waiting for another confession. Haku's resolve cracked and crumbled and dissolved, but he kept his mouth shut.

His master shook his head. "I was hoping that you had skills that I could use for work. If not…" He turned on his heel.

Haku watched his new master's back in horror. _He **wanted** me? He wanted me to help him…I could…_

His resolve shattered.

"MASTER!" he shouted across the lake. When Zabuza ignored him, he ran across the surface of the water. "Master, I-I lied again. I can also do other things. I did use my power to kill my last ma--"

He was cut off as he master appeared behind him, his right hand closing around his throat and low voice growling in his ear, "Don't ever lie to me again."

Haku's heard pounded in his chest as he watched the man in front of him—who he thought was his master—melt away into a puddle of water. The man standing behind him was warm, and strong, and certainly not…whatever that had been.

"You got it?" Zabuza asked.

Haku slowly remembered how to speak. "Y-yes, master." he whispered. Zabuza released him, and asked, "What else, then?"

Haku turned to face his master. "What else, master?"

"What are your other powers?"

"I…can make the water move."

"Using seals and jutsu?"

Haku looked taken aback. "I don't know about those things." He quickly explained after he saw the confused look on his master's face. "I just make it move, like this."

He motioned to the water on his right side, and an amorphous water clone arose. Zabuza walked over to it and kicked it, to Haku's surprise. The water clone gave way and Haku quickly stammered, "I-I'm sorry," though he wasn't sure of what he had done.

Zabuza shrugged. "Not bad, for no training. It fell apart too easily, though, and the form was awful." A pause. "Anything else?"

Haku shook his head. "Everything else is just like that—all that I can do is make water move." He hung his head shamefully. "I killed my last master using that. I just tried to break his neck, but--"

"Don't want to hear about it," his master said, cutting him off. Haku nodded.

"From now on, this is your job. You'll learn whatever I can teach you about the ninja arts, as well as doing my cooking and cleaning." Haku nodded.

"Let's go home, then," he said.

Haku watched his master walk away again, and he wanted to thank the man, but he knew that silence was best.

_Master…thank you, for not throwing me away._


	4. Chapter 4

Folded Hands, Chapter Four

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Zabuza woke before Haku the next morning. He found his slave sleeping peacefully on the couch and almost walked passed him, thinking, 'I'll let the kid sleep in'.

Haku was his slave, though, and their relationship could not be one of gentle allowances and tolerances.

"Get up," he said gruffly as stood over Haku.

The young man opened his eyes immediately and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and then looked up at his master.

_Good._

"I'm going into town for a little while," Zabuza told him. Haku nodded. "Breakfast should be ready by the time I get back." He gave Haku a lingering glance—mostly as a reminder of his place—and left the small house.

Haku sat on the couch for a few more minutes, thinking about what his master had told him to do.

_I wish that I had awoken before him. I don't want master to think that I'm lazy or that I need constant guidance to please him._

Thoughts of the previous day's incident crossed his mind. _Master might still be angry with me for lying to him. I need to get on his good side, no matter what that takes today._

Haku changed and began to make breakfast. He hoped that his master would return soon.

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Zabuza returned two hours later. By that time, Haku had made breakfast, set the table, and returned to cleaning the living room.

Haku greeted him in his usual way: he stopped what he was doing, walked up to him, and said, "Yes, master?".

"Breakfast ready?" The answer to this was obvious, but Zabuza asked him in order to reinforce the dynamics of their relationship.

"Yes, master."

"Good."

Zabuza sat down at the dining table and began to eat. "Come eat when you're finished with that," he said, not bothering to look up to see what 'that' was. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Haku said, "Yes, master," and did as he'd been told. When he sat down with his master, the older man said, "I have work to do tomorrow, and I'm going to have you help me."

"Yes, master."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow. _He's not going to ask what it is?_

His slave began to eat, acting rather disinterested, so he said, "Pay attention."

A look of surprise, and then sadness, crossed Haku's face as he realized that he had already disappointed his master that morning. He looked at the older man and said, "Yes, master," and did not take his eyes away from him.

Zabuza pulled a photograph from his pocket and tossed it onto the table in front of Haku. "All you need to know is that this is the target." Haku examined the photograph—the man in it looked to be about fifty, with white hair and a short white beard. "He's done some things that some people didn't like for some reason. What's more, is that the informant told me that he's got a taste for young girls."

Haku feigned confusion. "Young girls?" _Please not that._ He could feel his stomach unsettle.

Zabuza nodded. "It's fortunate that I bought you, then. Otherwise, I would have had to pay some girl who had nothing to do with me, to seduce this old geezer."

His slave closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself. Zabuza watched him, wondering if he would protect his pride by refusing to do what he was implying that Haku would have to do. Haku opened his eyes again and looked at him placidly.

_So, he's going to serve me._

"I guess it's fortunate then, master." He began to eat again.

His master was very entertained by that response, and decided to not punish him.

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Haku was inwardly fuming. He was mostly angry with himself, for having long hair, for disappointing his master over the past few days—he was suspicious that his master was going to have him pretend to be a girl, and seduce an old man, as a punishment, or as a threat that he would not be allowed to help his master with the important parts of his work if he did not progress.

But, his master had ordered it. If he could help Zabuza, then he would do whatever was necessary.

These thoughts crossed his mind as he shopped inside the women's clothing store back in town. He had worn the pink yukata again in order to pass as a girl.

His master hadn't given him much guidance on this shopping trip. _"Just pick something pretty, I guess," _his master had said before pushing him inside the shop. He knew that his master thought the situation was humorous, but he couldn't say anything back.

The saleswomen helped him to choose another yukata. This one was violet and was much more expensive than the men's clothing he bought. Haku found himself grinning inside.

_If this has to be difficult for me, then why should I worry about the cost?_

He knew that it was wrong to think such things, but the thought came to him before he could push it down. He was afraid that thoughts like this, and his occasional cheekiness, would make his master punish him.

Haku forced his face into a frown. He did not want to give this master any reason to treat him badly.

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The next day, Zabuza lead the female-impersonating and incredibly nervous Haku to the district where the target spent his afternoons. Haku had difficulty in keeping up with his master because of the clothing he had worn.

His bit his cheek. _Why did I have to dress like a geisha?_

His master had made him return the first yukata, and had chosen the clothing for him the second time around. Haku had been mildly amused to see his intimidating master ask the sales lady for 'promiscuous clothing' and then actually look through a few garments himself, looking for the appropriate type. Haku knew that they would probably never be allowed back into the store again, which suited him just fine.

His master had not stopped at the yukata—he had made Haku find shoes, make-up, and hair ornaments. As his master pushed him from one store to the next, he began to truly understand his purpose in this mission.

Zabuza had surprised him by shopping for the hair ornaments himself. Haku wasn't sure of what his master had been looking for at the time, but he had given him instructions when they returned home later that day.

"I'm going to have you kill him," he said. "The geezer goes to this bar almost every afternoon. The women who work at the bar are usually too old for him, so he'll look around for pretty teenaged girls outside the bar before he goes in.

"There usually aren't any girls waiting outside, though, so if he sees a girl standing nearby who looks like the right type, he'll probably jump all over her and pull her in with him."

"That's me, right?"

His master had nodded. "Follow him inside, and when he's relaxed--" his master pulled out one of the hair ornaments and brought the tip to Haku's neck suddenly. Haku fought to not flinch, and his master smiled.

"If there's any trouble, I'll come in to help. I'll be ready to kill his bodyguards by waiting at the back, but the old guy'll probably pull you into an isolated room for some fun--" Haku shuddered at that, "—so you'll have a clear shot."

Haku found himself wondering if he would be prepared for this mission. He didn't think that the actual killing would take much prowess, but the acting required…

They neared the bar, and Zabuza said, "It's all yours, kid."

He nodded at his master and walked towards the bar. The old man was not there yet, it seemed, so he waited outside for a while.

One of the waitresses saw him outside and said, "Oh! Young girl!"

Haku turned to her and said in as softly a voice as he could, "Yes?"

The waitress pulled Haku inside. "You're here for Juroichi-sama, right?" She tugged on Haku's arm, forcing him to follow her up a set of stairs. "You can make some money really quickly if you want to, just spend some time with this nice man!"

When they reached the end of one of the bar's hallways, the waitress pulled the door open and said, "Please excuse me, Juroichi-sama! I found this lovely girl Hanako outside and she said she would love to meet you!"

Haku was taken aback. _Hanako? Love to meet you? Am I even a part of this mission at all?_ He wondered how many other girls had been dragged into this situation. He did not fight, though, because this was what Zabuza wanted.

The old man was sitting before a low table on a cushion, enjoying a very expensive-looking meal and a bottle of what Haku guessed was alcohol. "Oh? Hanako you say?" His expression lit up, and his patted a nearby cushion.

The waitress shoved the silent Haku into the room before slamming the door shut.

Haku regarded the man for a moment and thought, _for master…_

He smiled and used the soft voice again. "Yes, Juroichi-sama. My name is Hanako. Would you care if I join you?"

The old man just smiled back and Haku took the cushion next to him. Haku wondered how quickly he could kill the man, get out of the bar, get out of the costume, and…

As he looked back at the target, forcing himself to smile, he thought, _master must not think much of me, to have me take this kind of role in a mission._

Juroichi offered him a small cup of sake.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Haku said softly, covering his mouth with his hand.

The old man leered at him. "Don't worry, young lady, I won't tell your parents…"

"Well, well," Haku responded in his best imitation of a flirtatious woman. He drank the sake slowly, and it burned his mouth.

_That's disgusting!_

He hid his distaste for the alcohol as he handed the cup back to Juroichi. The old man took it, filled it again, and quickly drained the contents. He was clearly inebriated.

Juroichi looked over Haku's well-disguised body and said, "My, they really do tie these things differently from how they did in my day," he said drunkenly. "A pretty girl like you should look more relaxed…" He started to pull the garment down Haku's shoulders.

Haku said, "Oh no, Juroichi-sama!", still impersonating a girl, and was shocked when the old man proceeded to pull the top down to Haku's stomach.

"Eh?" Juroichi asked. He stared at Haku's flat chest and Haku closed his eyes.

He pulled the hair garment out as he had practiced and shoved the pointed end as quickly was possible.

The old man stared at him for a moment with the thin metal rod sticking out of his neck. He tried to say something, maybe to shout, but no sound would come out of his mouth. Haku realized that the man wasn't on the road to death just yet, and so he pulled out the decoration in preparation for a second blow.

As soon as the rod was out of his neck, blood began to spurt from the wound. Haku was surprised by this, and a fair amount of blood stained his new, unwanted yukata. He quickly shoved the rod back into the old man's neck and realized that he had no escape route.

Haku stood up, letting some of the blood on his yukata drip onto the floor, and he peeked outside the room. He was at the end of a long hallway with rooms on either side. He stared and thought about his situation, and then decided to try the next room.

This one was empty, thankfully, and was facing the alley at the back of the store.

Haku ripped the remaining decorations out of his hair, pulled the yukata up so that it covered his chest, and wiped his face clean of the disgusting makeup using his already-ruined yukata.

No one had noticed the murder yet.

He looked out the window again. There was a ledge to jump onto, and nothing else but the ground, which was at least fifteen feet away.

Haku swallowed and jumped.

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When Haku awoke, the first thing he saw was the ceiling of Zabuza's house. As he remembered the events of the day, he sat up and looked around for his master.

He noticed that his ankle was bandaged and that he was only wearing the inside layer of the yukata.

His master entered the house then, slamming the front door behind him.

"You up?"

"Yes, master." Haku suddenly felt a sting of guilt in his stomach. "Master?"

"Yes?"

"How did the mission go?"

Zabuza shrugged. As he walked to his room, he said, "You did alright," over his shoulder.

Haku stared at the door to his master's room as it was slammed shut. He knew that he had made a mistake—he must have passed out from that jump—but his master hadn't said anything about it.

His master left his room then and approached him. Haku had no idea of what to expect, when this man actually gave him his attention.

"Haku."

"Yes, master?"

Zabuza gave him a look, though Haku wasn't sure why, and said, "Firstly, good kill. No one knew the old guy was dead when I picked you up and brought you here.

Secondly, the jump."

Haku nodded. "I'm sorry, master."

"If you let something like that happen to you again, I won't bring you back."

"Yes, master."

"Now, go to bed."

Haku thought of asking his master about dinner, but decided not to.

He had already disappointed his master that day. He didn't want to trouble him anymore.

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Note: no, Haku will not regularly dress as a girl.


	5. Chapter 5

Folded Hands, Chapter Five

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Haku was pleased that he awoke before his master the next morning. His ankle was swollen and sore, but knew that he had to fight the urge to lie on the couch any longer—it was imperative that he not disappoint his master with his laziness that day.

Breakfast was a somewhat painful ordeal, but Haku endured. The sun had risen by the time his master awoke.

Zabuza watched his slave for a few moments after he'd left his bedroom. Haku was aware of him, he was almost certain of it, but he continued to work around the house.

"Haku," he said suddenly, making the young man nearly jump.

He was answered when Haku walked forward to meet him silently, waiting for instructions.

Once Haku's eyes were focused on his face, he continued. "I'm going to see my boss about work. I want you to stay here, and rest your leg for a while." Haku immediately felt defensive—it was his fault that he had the injury, after all.

"You should be alright in a few days. Don't wander off," his master said over his shoulder as he left the small house.

Haku stared at the front door once his master had closed it.

The man hadn't even stayed for breakfast.

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Zabuza took his time walking to his 'boss's' place. He took work where there was work, and the local law office had not-so-recently created a branch devoted to contacting men like himself. He knew the man who chaired the department, and he was often given the most violent targets because of his reknown with such men as a skilled assassin.

On the way to the law office, he looked around the local market for breakfast. His slave had prepared something—he'd realized it as he left the house—but Haku seemed to have a rather small collection of recipes in his memory. Rather, his specialties were stew and…stew-like foods.

He noticed that there were women and slaves shopping. Many of the stalls sold their goods at lower prices in the early morning, mostly to get rid of the previous day's bread.

Some of the slaves who were shopping were Haku's age, too. Quite a few were younger, sent out by some idiot master who was just begging to have his slave robbed, beaten, and…harmed in other ways.

Zabuza arrived at the law office about an hour after sunrise. He was greeted by the sight of a dark, empty, room…

"Yamamoto? You here?"

In the light that poured into the room from the outdoors, Zabuza could vaguely make out a man waking suddenly while sitting at his desk.

"Whazzat? Zabu—er…" Yamamoto turned on a nearby lamp, and rubbed his eyes as he stared at his visitor.

"Shut the damn door, it's so fucking bright outside…"

Zabuza complied with the sleepy (or, more likely, hungover) man's request, then took a seat in one of the chair's in front of Yamamoto's desk.

The forty-something government official rubbed his temples and sighed. "I hate you morning people…" he said as he gathered himself. Zabuza didn't reply; he'd been through this with Yamamoto before. It was part of his 'operating procedure'…or a plan to make sure no one would bother him before noon.

"Anything come in?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Wait, I'm getting there…." the older man clumsily looked around the cabinets of his desk, and eventually handed Zabuza a folder labeled 'Gatou'.

"This shithead thinks he owns the fucking East Waterfall Village," Yamamoto said as Zabuza glanced over the file's contents. "Wants to be some kind of 'boss', you know. Hires guys like you, but young and stupid, to do whatever he wants."

"And?"

Yamamoto glared at him. "Freakin' punk. Anyway, we don't like that. He's had some of our officers and judges killed. He's started a prostitution ring, and a drug ring. The whole East…whatever Village has been in a state of disorder and terror, and we don't know what to do about him anymore." He signed, and rested his face on his hands, barely trying to stay awake. "Our boys don't want to go after him…wives and kids and stuff…god, I wish I was still married…"

Zabuza didn't respond to that, either. "What does this say here?" he asked, showing the file to the official.

"What? Can't you read?"

Zabuza glared at him. "Of course I can read. I just want to know why this says that you've already hired some men for the job."

Yamamoto grinned. "I wouldn't call them men, really. More like…an assortment of different people."

"So, is the job taken?"

The official leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Well, the target isn't just Gatou. It's his nest. The office is looking for a team that can taken down Gatou and all those punks he hired, as well as capturing his right-hand man and…some other people."

Zabuza frowned. "Who are these people?"

"I don't know their names or anything, but they're from a place to the east. The job is in two weeks, so you'll get to meet them a few days before the mission."

_Two weeks? I won't be able to train Haku very much…_

Yamamoto broke his thoughts. "So, you want it?"

"How much?"

"Uh…." The official pulled the folder out of his hands. "Four-hundred thousand, split two ways."

The money was good.

"I'll give you a copy of the information tomorrow, along with some pictures of Gatou and his men." Yamamoto leaned back in his chair. "Anything else?"

Zabuza shrugged. "It'll do."

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He returned home to find Haku resting on the couch, mending some of his clothing. His slave started to stand when he saw him, but Zabuza immediately barked at him, "Don't get up."

Haku sat down, looking downtrodden, and he waited for his master to speak. The shirt he was mending lay neatly on his lap, and he folded his hands over it, holding the needle in his right hand.

Zabuza took the armchair next to the couch.

"There's another job in two weeks, so I need your ankle to heal so that we can pick up training again," he said sternly.

"Yes, master."

"That means that, unless you need to, you don't leave this couch."

"Yes, master."

His slave's displeasure did not escape him, but he didn't really care, either, so he continued.

"I'm assuming you already cooked for the day?"

"Yes, master."

"Good." He looked at Haku's bandaged ankle. "How has your leg been today?"

Haku wasn't sure of how to answer, but he forced out the response, "Painful."

"Looks like it," his master said. "Keep your weight off of it. I'll look at it after dinner."

Haku nodded silently. His master left him then for his bedroom, and Haku returned to his mending.

His injury was frustrating him anew. Not only was he now a burden to his master…his training had to be delayed as well! And there was a new mission!

Haku paused in his mending.

_I hope that Master doesn't make me dress like a girl again. I wish that he would tell me what kind of mission this was...If only I hadn't hurt my ankle._

He looked over his injury. His ankle was swollen to nearly twice its usual size, and he could barely walk with it.

_As soon as my ankle is better…I'll put everything into training for him._

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One week later, the bandages came off.

His master had made him join him outside the following morning for 'training'. He hadn't been sure of what his training would entail, but his master had decided to teach him the basics first.

"Have you every been in a fight before?" his master asked him.

That was a difficult question. "I've been attacked, but I don't know how to fight back," he said hesitantly. "I only know how to use jitsu."

"Jutsu," his master corrected him.

Zabuza was impatient, and it was obvious to Haku. The mission was only a week away, and he wanted to slave to have enough training to take part in the mission. He didn't want the young man to make a fool out of his master and himself by needing rescuing.

Haku's head hung in shame.

_Everything. Everything. Everything._

His master moved on. "One week isn't enough time to develop your taijutsu," this word was lost on Haku but he kept that a secret, "so I'm going to help you with your ninjutsu."

"Ninjutsu?" Haku asked, making sure the pronunciation was correct.

Zaubza nodded. "Ninjutsu is a combination of hand seals and incantations used to attack, defend, et cetera. It seems like you can perform some already with seals and chants, but it's worth teaching you anyway."

His master showed him a few hands seals and told him the attacks' names. Then, he drilled him over the seals.

Haku practiced while he made dinner that night. He was not going to disappoint his master.

"Horse-crane-eagle-toad…" he murmured as he practiced the hand positions over their dinner-to-be.

During those few moments when Zabuza left his room for some reason or other, he was amused to find Haku practicing the hand seals in all of his spare time.

_Maybe a few days will be enough time. After all, Yamamoto said that Gatou mostly hired punks…his ninja might be second-rate. Haku's pretty sharp, too, so he'll probably be able to get by with a few ninjutsu and his already-existing techniques._

Haku's ability to manipulate water without seals or incantations was a mystery to his master. He knew that his slave might have possessed some sort of weird ability…he'd heard about kids being born with talents before, but didn't know much about it.

There was also the possibility that Haku hadn't been entirely truthful about his past. Zabuza considered this as he watched Haku practice the Replacement hand seals over the vegetables he was cooking on the stove.

_The training might make him more dangerous, but he's nothing that I can't handle._

After all, Haku was just a fair-faced kid with some weird tricks up his sleeve.

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His master let him practice the techniques the next day. By the end of the fourth day, Haku had adequately mastered the Replacement technique, generation of water clones, the general transformation technique, and a few water-manipulating jutsu.

Haku seemed to be the most enthusiastic about the former three techniques. Little did his master know how badly he wanted to learn from him, and how he loved the attention his master gave him when he mastered a new ninjutsu. He was happy to have a master who made him stronger in their time together, rather than…

His thoughts and hand seals were interrupted when the water he was manipulating sloshed around. Haku stopped immediately, and the dragon that had formed from the water in the lake collapsed.

Zabuza growled at him, "Pay attention. This might save your life. Remember, if you screw up during this mission, I won't be there to save you."

Haku hid his disappointment as best he could. "Yes, master," he said softly as he began to recite the incantation again.

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Zabuza soon grew tired of the training session, and sent Haku to the marketplace around sunset. Haku nearly ran to the market, making his old injury sting. What he wanted more than anything was to please his master, and he knew that that wouldn't happen if he was robbed after nightfall.

As he reached the stalls, his empty stomach reminded him that he had not eaten yet that day. His master had also abstained from meals, but Haku knew that Zabuza was stronger than he was, and he had not wanted to complain to his master about food during their training session.

The man was under enough stress as it was.

Haku stopped at a stall that sold snacks, and decided that there would be no harm in buying something for himself. It would help him to concentrate on bargain-shopping, after all.

As he took a place in the line for the stall, a boy with bright blonde hair and bright blue eyes nearly knocked him over.

"Whoah! Sorry, sis," the strange boy said as he looked over Haku quickly. "Sorry about that, you know, ladies first," he said, gesturing for Haku to take a place in line in front of him.

Haku stared at thet boy for a moment. _'Ladies?'_ He wasn't even dressed like—

He was used to that sort of thing, though, so he took a place in line in front of the blonde boy.

As they waited in line, the blonde boy said, "I really am sorry about that. I know it's wrong to be mean to girls and all. It's just that I came here with my master, and he didn't stop for food anywhere, and you know…" His stomach growled and he laughed.

"Master?" Haku asked, suddenly interested. He was talking to another slave, like himself! A small part of him felt less guilty for stopping at a snack vendor before doing the shopping.

"Oh, yeah, Master Kakashi," the blonde said. The name didn't have any effect on Haku, and the other boy realized why.

"Sorry, I should have told you, my name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm from the Fire Country, but that's supposed to be a secret." He smiled cockily.

Now that he was officially speaking to the other slave, Haku looked over him again. He had spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, scars on either side of his face, and he was dressed in a dark grey robe and shoes that looked like the type his master wore.

Haku smiled back. "My name is Haku. My master is back at home, so I'm doing his shopping."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Oh? You have a master too? Wow! Total coincidence!"

Haku ordered dango, and Naruto looked over the menu. "What should I get? I'm not used to his kind of food…most of it sounds like girly stuff." He squinted at the menu, then said, "Sis, can you order me something?"

Somewhat bothered by the fact that Naruto, a stranger, was referring to him (a boy) as 'sis', Haku just said, "Well, you could try the yakitori."

"Oh! I've had that before!" Naruto grabbed the stall owner's sleeve and shouted, "Mister! Two—no, three orders of yakitori! I'm freakin' starving!"

Some of the people in line behind them were complaining about Naruto's loudness, but Haku thought his behavior was entertaining. Once he had been served, he waited for the blonde boy.

Naruto took the skewered chicken from the vendor and paid, then joined Haku. "Say, sis, what are you up to?"

Haku smiled softly, a smile that won Naruto over. _She's so pretty! Almost as good as Sakura! _"I'm out shopping for my Master." He'd already said it, but…the kid seemed a little dense.

"Oh, yeah, you said that." Naruto thought for a moment. "Hey! Why are you out doing his shopping?"

"Isn't that what I'm for?" Haku asked, happily awaiting the strange boy's strange response.

"No!" Naruto starting to eat his yakitori in a starved fashion as Haku neatly ate his dango. "If my master asked me to do that, then I'd kick him!" He smirked. "Master Kakashi would be too busy reading one of his shitty perverted books to notice! Ha!" He turned to Haku, and said, "Your master is supposed to train you, not make you do stupid errands! That's what _they're_ for!"

Haku was somewhat confused by this. Naruto's master must have been very lax…or maybe punishment had no effect on the boy.

"Maybe we're supposed to do things for each other," Haku said softly. He didn't want to disagree with him outright. Naruto was being kind to him, and he like the friendly attention.

Naruto thought for a moment, and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Master Kakashi trains me, and I do stupid stuff for him, like retarded missions back home where all I do is help people cook noodles and find cats and chase down weird bugs and stuff."

Haku smiled softly. "I do my Master's bidding, and he provides me with shelter, food, and clothing."

The blonde looked confused. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"NARUTO!"

The two young men spun around to see a pretty girl with pink hair and green eyes, wearing a deep red robe, standing next to an attractive black-haired, black-eyed boy wearing a deep navy robe.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted, waving at the girl. "This girl's a ninja too!"

The black-haired boy looked stupefied. "You retard, don't shout shit like that!"

Naruto covered his mouth, and it was Haku's turn to give Naruto a confused look. "I'm not a ninja." _Not really, anyway._

"Eh?"

Realization came over Haku, and he quickly bade goodbye to Naruto. He was ashamed right then, though he wasn't sure why. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

_I wasted so much time talking to that foreign boy! I need to do the shopping quickly!_

Naruto stared at Haku's retreating back while Sakura and Sasuke tried to make their way over to him.

"That boy's a slave," a silver-haired man with his face hidden in a book said suddenly.

Naruto jumped back as he realized his teacher was standing next to him. "Master Kakashi! When did you get here?"

His teacher scoffed. "I've been here. I was actually standing here. You just didn't notice."

Naruto shrugged, and then his teacher's words hit him.

He spun around as his teammates caught up to them, and shouted at his master, "Boy? What BOY!"

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Nightfall had hit when Haku returned home. He found his master sitting at the dining room table, waiting.

He quickly set the groceries on the countertop, and gave his master the change from shopping.

Zabuza arose then, and said, "You're going to train against some other people tomorrow. Eat dinner and go to bed." He left him then for the solitude of his room.

Haku quickly obeyed his master. His hands shook with anxiety. _I took too long, I know I did. Maybe he's having me train with someone else because he's tired of me._

_Three days left._

As he tried to fall asleep that night, he started to practice the hand seals. He fell asleep with his hands folded next to his face.

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Enter Uzumaki Naruto!


	6. Chapter 6

Folded Hands, Chapter Six

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Note:

Darkrini, I wonder if you really DO know what I'm planning, heh heh….

Also, I need to make an AU story note. This will all be explained, but Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are ninjas from a different country (guess where). They're all older in this story. Itachi hasn't killed anyone (well, anyone who didn't deserve it).

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Haku awoke at daybreak, and found that his master was already in the kitchen, looking for breakfast.

"Master?" he asked softly.

Zabuza turned around and said, "Get up, kid. Put on something that'll work for training, and eat breakfast." He sat down at the kitchen table, eating leftovers from the day before. "We're going to meet the other ninja at the lake in about an hour."

He watched his master eat for a few seconds, wishing that Zabuza had waited for him to make breakfast, but he obeyed his master silently nonetheless.

Today was going to be a big day.

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As they neared the lake where Zabuza usually trained him, Haku saw that there was no one around…no one at all. He knew that his master was generally on-time, so he decided that these ninjas must have been very rude to be late for a meeting with his master.

He set down his training gear after his master stopped near the lake's shore. Haku decided to use this extra time to check his 'training robe'. The navy robe was secured with a heavy belt around his waist, and he wore black pants underneath. He'd left his hair down, as usual, and had taken after his master by covering the lower half of his face with a navy cloth.

His choice in clothing was important, not because of his personal preferences (as long as he didn't have to dress like a girl) but rather because his appearance was a demonstration of his master's values. Haku knew that his master would be judged by the new ninja by his looks, speech, and actions, and he didn't want to give the man any reason to be unhappy with him.

Zabuza sighed beside him, and set down the heavy sword he was carrying. "How much longer are they gonna take?" he growled, though not to his slave.

"What the fuck!"

Haku and his master turned to see three people walking through the forest.

_The three ninja from yesterday!_

"You fucking dumbass!" the dark-haired boy shouted.

"Hey! Look, I said the lake was this way, and I found it, didn't I?"

"Geeze, Naruto!" the pink-haired girl said. It was obvious that they weren't aware of the two ninja waiting at the lake. "It's a surprise that Master Kakashi isn't here yet! I thought that you were going to make US later than HIM!"

"No way!" The blonde boy looked around the lake. "We beat him? Sweet!"

It was then that the three foreign ninja noticed Haku and Zabuza waiting passively (though not patiently) at the lake's shore. Haku held his breath, hoping that Naruto wouldn't recognize him. Shame still lingered from the day before.

_That boy would not have spoken with me if he knew I was a slave,_ Haku thought. _He thought that I was a ninja! A warrior! He also thought I was a girl…_

_If I keep my face covered, I might be alright._

Naruto forcefully stepped out in front of his comrades so that he could be the first to greet the water-nin. "Hi there! Sorry to keep you waiting! We're the ninja from the Country of Fire!" He looked at Zabuza and his 'apprentice', then stared.

"You're…"

Haku kept his face frozen as Zabuza gave him a look.

"You're that gir—I mean, that boy from yesterday!"

His master glared at him. "You know this kid?"

Haku lowered his eyes. "Yes, master. I met him at the market yesterday." An awkward silence followed.

Sakura chose to break the silence cheerfully. "We were just kidding, when we said our master is usually late. He's usually right on time! Early even! Right, boys?" she asked, nudging Sasuke.

The dark-haired boy said, "Oh, yeah. All the time," as unconvincingly as he could.

"He'll probably be here any minute."

The five ninja waited in silence for two…five…twenty minutes.

Naruto decided to take charge of the situation, thereby pissing of Zabuza immensely. "Okay! Time for introductions!" He stood in front of his comrades again, begging for attention. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm sixteen years old, and I'm from the Country of Fire. My specialties are jutsu that consume a lot of chakra!"

Sakura stood forward next. "My name is Haruno Sakura, nice to meet you." She bowed politely. "I'm, seventeen years old, and I'm training to be a medical-nin." The pink-haired girl then took a step back, motioning for Sasuke to go next.

Sasuke remained where he was. "Uchiha Sasuke. Seventeen years old. Specialty…" he smirked. "No REAL ninja would divulge their specialty."

The blonde boy glared at him. "I'm a real ninja! And you just insulted Sakura, too!"

Sakura looked hurt, but said, "I guess he's right…"

"Fine!" More for his own desire to get attention than for Haku's or Zabuza's benefit, he said, "Sasuke can use Sharingan! His favorite jutsu are Chidori and--"

"YOU DUMB FUCK!" The black-haired boy exploded. "Oh my god, just get yourself killed on this mission, please."

Sakura took a step forward again, and said to Haku (since he was less imposing than Zabuza), "You can introduce yourself. We want to know about you."

Haku knew that she meant to be polite, but…he gave his master a sideways glance, and the response was a shrug.

He nervously turned to the three foreign ninja and said, "My name is Haku, age seventeen. This is my home country. My specialty is water-type jutsu." He bowed politely, as Sakura had before. "It's nice to meet you."

Naruto grinned at him. "We already met! You don't have to be so polite!"

Haku ignored him. He knew that his relationship with the foreign ninja was going to be short-lived. Formality was called for.

He was a slave, after all.

Zabuza grunted, "Momochi Zabuza. Not telling you three anything else, at least not until your teacher gets here."

Sakura blushed as Sasuke stood coolly to the side and Naruto looked sheepish. "Sorry, he might be a little while longer…"

Sasuke snorted. "This forest is a hell-hole. We could barely find our way here."

"That's why it's proper for training."

The foreign ninjas' teacher suddenly appeared in a poof of smoke where Sakura had been standing, reading a book which Haku guessed contained 'adult-oriented' material (or so the front cover suggested).

Naruto stared at his teacher, alarmed. "Master Kakashi! When did you get here?"

"I switched places with Sakura a while back. If I'm not mistaken…." He turned around. "Sakura! You can come out now!"

The pink-haired girl ran out from behind a tree.

Sasuke blinked at the new arrival. "She's been here the whole time?"

"Yep."

"Then why the fuck did it take us so long to find this place?"

His teacher opened the book again. "Because you two are retarded."

Haku was somewhat disturbed by the teacher-student exchange. Even if he had been Zabuza's student, and not his slave, he would have known that he needed to speak to him respectfully. He would have known, at the very least, to not swear when speaking to his teacher, or to shout at him.

And Zabuza certainly wouldn't have read THAT during their training sessions.

"Kakashi Hatake," the silver-haired man said as he closed his book and stepped forward to greet Zabuza. He payed no attention to Haku, and he was grateful for it.

"Momochi Zabuza." The two men did not shake hands.

Kakashi sent a sideways glance toward Haku, and asked, "Is he coming along for the mission?"

"Yeah." Zabuza gave him a small glare to tell him to not ask any more questions about Haku.

"Okay, then," he said. Kakashi turned to his students, and said, "Kiddoes, go train with Haku on the other side of the lake. We're going to work on the mission details."

"Alright, Master Kakashi!" Naruto said brightly. "Come on, guys, let's get going!" His teammates followed him. Haku stole a glance at his master, who simply nodded in his direction as if to tell him to follow the other man's orders. He did not want to be separated from his master, or to be forced to spend time with these other ninja, but he complied.

_Today. If I do my best to train today, he'll be happy with me._

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Short, I know.


	7. Chapter 7

Folded Hands, Chapter Seven

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Note:

Darkrini—

"Foreign" in this story refers to the fact that Team Seven is in the Country of Water, but they are from the Country of Fire. It WOULD be cool to read a story, though, where the kids were all students somewhere (say, Tokyo U) and Naruto was American and Sakura was Chinese.

All—

I am watching the anime, not reading the manga, meaning that I don't know what kind of stuff Sakura can do these days. So I made shit up. No spoilers, I guess. I'm going to make up some stuff throughout the story, like Sasuke's and Naruto's abilities…and other things. No story spoilers either, I want to keep you guessing.

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"Okay, this should be good," Naruto said, stopping when they had reached the other side of the lake.

Haku's eyes skimmed across the water. His master was speaking with "Master" Kakashi now, and he wondered what about.

"Haku!"

He turned to see the pink-haired girl, Sakura, smiling at him expectantly.

"Yes, Sakura?" Haku asked softly. Naruto walked past him and started to talk to Sasuke.

Sakura laughed a little. "I'm sorry that I didn't really get to meet you before because of Master Kakashi's joke. I don't know what he said about me, but I'm seventeen, and I'm almost finished with my medical training." She held out her hand and he took it slowly. "I overheard your name before, but I don't know anything about you. Would you mind telling me again?"

The nervousness returned. Haku knew that the rude things in this mind tended to be spoken out when he wasn't prepared for them…

He took a breath. "My name is Haku. I'm seventeen, and I'm training to be a--"

"He's s super-strong water-nin, no doubt!" Naruto shouted as he turned his attention to Sakura, pushing her shoulder playfully. "I mean, look at his maste--"

Haku's eyes caught Naruto's. Even through his own brashness and lack of tact, Naruto could see the sudden apprehension on Haku's face.

"—his teacher," Naruto corrected himself. He watched Haku's face for a moment, and the water-nin looked away and nodded slightly. He hoped that Zabuza wouldn't hear about his new title.

Naruto continued. "That Zabuza guy looks tough. Really tough. So--"

"So you're saying that since his teacher looks tough, he has to be strong, too?" Sasuke interrupted.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah!"

"I-I just started my training," Haku said. "But I agree with you, in that my Master is very strong."

"See, you retard?" Sasuke asked, nudging Naruto in his side with his elbow. "Don't just jump to conclusions."

"Hey! It's called giving him the benefit of the doubt!"

_Benefit of the doubt? Naruto thought that there was a possibility that I was strong…_

Naruto turned back to him. "Sorry if I embarrassed you."

"It's okay," Haku said, keeping his eyes down.

Sakura, the polite one, started the new conversation. "Haku, do you know any water jutsu? I've never seen anyone perform a water jutsu, because almost everyone back home uses fire jutsu."

Haku nodded. "Do you want me to show you?"

The pink-haired girl nodded.

He turned to the lake, and raised his hands in front of his chest, preparing to perform the hand seals for the Water Clone Technique. He couldn't help but glance at his master across the lake, who was standing with his back to him, looking over something with the foreign teacher.

_I have to do this well, because he might look over our way._ Haku grinned beneath the half-mask. _He might even want me to show off._

As he recited the chant and performed the hands seals, he realized that his master would not take any notice of him. Why would he, anyway? The mission was at hand.

Haku finished the hand seal pattern, and four Haku-mirroring water clones climbed out of the lake, all imitating his usual standing posture.

"Creepy…" Naruto said. "Looks like something from a horror movie."

Haku expected one of the foreign ninja to 'test' out his clones as his master had done before, but none of them stepped forward. He suddenly realized that he didn't know what to do next.

"I can do stuff like that!" Naruto said happily. He took a place near Haku. "Shadow clone replication!" the blonde ninja said after a string of hand seals and incantations.

Haku jumped back as he, Sakura, and Sasuke were suddenly surrounded by an army of blonde ninja.

"Naruto! Don't be a show-off!" Sakura said. She 'killed' the clone closest to her, and then turned to Haku. "Most people can't make this many," she said. She'd sensed his worry. "Naruto likes to make everything big. He has no restraint."

"He's a freak," Sasuke said coolly. He also began 'killing' clones close to him.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "Don't call me that!" He smiled at Haku. "Everyone's a little different, right?"

Naruto noticed that Haku hadn't moved. "Hey, you can kill some if you want to. It's good practice." He turned around and began 'killing' Naruto replicas himself.

Haku swallowed nervously. He had never punched anyone in his life, and now, in front of these foreign ninja…

He gathered his courage and walked up to the first clone. "Hey, sis, what's up?" the clone asked him in Naruto's voice.

"Sis?" Haku growled under his breath. He punched its face…it felt just like a person! The clone disappeared in a poof of smoke.

As he admired his now-stinging hand, Haku said, "They feel just like real people."

Deciding to be polite, Sasuke stopped his 'stress relief therapy', leaving a few Naruto clones so he could talk to Haku. "That's because they're shadow clones. The technique for making shadow clones is a secret because the clones are so lifelike. Shadow clones are usually stronger than water, air, earth, or fire clones…or any kind of clone, really."

He realized that Haku hadn't moved on. Haku blushed furiously under his half-mask, embarrassed because his hand was already hurting from nixing one clone. "Come on, you'll enjoy kicking his ass." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, you jackass! This is the ONLY time I'll ever let you kick my ass!" Naruto said as he fought one of his feistier replicas. Sakura stood to the side, not wanting to waste time and energy getting rid of Naruto's army.

She also kept her gaze fixed on Haku, trying to glean information from his actions.

Haku knew that the others had realized that he didn't know how to fight. He didn't say anything, though, and followed Sasuke after releasing his clone technique.

Sasuke lead him to another clone. "He's ugly, isn't he?" Sasuke asked conversationally.

The clone replied, "Not as ugly as your mother!" then looked at Haku. "Hey, pretty miss, what's up?"

Haku blushed again, and then punched this one in the face, harder. His hand still hurt, but then pain seemed to have gone down. The clone disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Naruto laughed as he joined them. "Sorry, my clones are just as stupid as I am."

"It provides decent motivation," Haku said under his breath.

To his surprise, Naruto gave him a confused, shocked look, and Sasuke hid his mouth with his hand as he chuckled.

_I let my mouth run again!_

The clones were gone by then, so Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Make some more, idiot," Sasuke said. Naruto didn't seem to understand why, but he complied.

"Shadow Clone Replication!"

Another small army of blonde, grinning ninja appeared. Sakura pushed her way through them to Haku.

"Let me take a look at your hand, Haku," she said. He offered his right hand to Sakura, and she closed it in hers.

"Hey, hold MY hand, Sakura!"

"Girl-on-girl action!"

"Which one is prettier?"

Haku and Sakura both glared at the offending clones. Naruto held up his hands defensively. "Like I said…"

Sakura rolled her eyes and looked back at Haku's hand. "Minor healing technique," she said. Haku's hand became enveloped in a small pocket of blue chakra, and the pain stopped.

She smiled at him. "Just keep going. As soon as the pain become debilitating, have me heal you so that you can keep training."

There was an unspoken agreement between himself, Sakura, and Sasuke: _don't say that I'm lacking in training. Just act friendly._

He didn't really like it…the foreign ninja (at least the tactful ones) were slowing down for him.

Sakura let go of his hand. "Come on, let's train," she said, smiling at him politely. Sasuke nodded, waiting for him. Naruto watched the exchange, trying to catch on to his teammates' plan.

Haku swallowed, and walked up to the next clone. This one was more animated.

"How are you doing, babe?" the clone asked him, putting its arm around his shoulders.

Haku grabbed the clone by the front of its robes and hurled it with strength that he didn't know he possessed.

"I'm not a girl!" He shouted at the clone as it landed a distance away and poofed into nonexistence.

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Nightfall approached, and yet their teachers (or, teacher and master) had not finished discussing the plans for the mission.

Naruto had settled down on grass near the shore, and was eating a boxed lunch that he had produced from his gear pack. "Haku, sit down for a while," he said, patting the grass next to him.

Sakura's healing had returned his strength to him, but Haku still felt exhausted. He also hadn't eaten since breakfast, and he felt unprepared when he saw the other fire-nin pulled out their own boxed lunches.

Sasuke and Sakura both noticed that Haku had nothing to eat, and Haku was prepared for their polite attempts to offer him food. As Sakura stood, though, preparing to say something along the lines of 'I'm on a diet and I shouldn't eat this much food', Naruto realized that Haku wasn't eating.

"Dude!" he said. "Oh man, you don't have anything!" He smiled apologetically. "Our master likes to be late all the time, so we knew that he'd probably take waaaaaaay longer than he needed to doing shit today, so we all knew to pack lunches."

Haku looked away, wishing that Naruto hadn't brought the subject to light.

"Here!" Naruto said, offering Haku some of his lunch. "I always eat a lot, so I packed a lot, but I can get something else in a while, too."

"You don't need to be so kind," Haku said as he stared at a patch of grass.

Naruto made a face. "It's not just kindness. We're going to be a team soon, so we need to act like a team!"

He turned to the other fire-nin. "Teamwork, right, guys?"

They gave him 'You're so stupid' looks and then Sasuke said, "Yeah…stupid fucking bell test…." This reference passed over Haku's head, but he didn't say anything.

"Here," Naruto said. He founded the lid from his lunch and placed a few of his rolled omelets on it, along with some of his rice. "Guys, give me some stuff, too," he said, passing the lid to Sasuke.

Sasuke silently took the lid and places a few sushi rolls on it. "It's an Uchiha recipe," he said proudly. He passed the lid to Sakura, who gave up some kind of fruit to complete the little tray of food.

Sakura passed this back to Haku, who stared at his new meal with surprise. Sushi? Omelets? And what was that red fruit?

He felt three pairs of eyes on his hands and realized that they were all waiting to see what he would try first.

Haku lowered his half-mask, then picked up one of the fruit and asked, "What is this?"

"The strawberry?" Sakura asked. "Oh, yeah, I forgot, they only grow back home. Try it," she said politely.

He picked it up by the green part, and took a bite of the red part. The meal continued like that, with Haku trying each person's food. The sushi was excellent, and he told Sasuke so.

Partway through the meal, Sakura decided to try polite conversation. "Why did you wear that mask?" she asked.

Haku blushed, and swallowed the omelet he was chewing. "I thought that it was the sort of thing that ninja wore." He looked down for a moment. "My master also covers his face, so I thought that it would be good for me to emulate him."

Naruto shrugged. "In the Country of Fire, there are all sorts of ninja. We're still in training, so we don't usually disguise ourselves."

Sasuke nodded. "Even among adult ninja, there are many who don't hide their faces unless they're working." He pointed to the Uchiha clan symbol on the back of his robe. "I guess this is kind of the opposite of hiding."

Sakura giggled. "Naruto used to wear orange all the time."

"Hey!"

Haku thought about that for a moment. "So, was that when Naruto was bait, or before they cured him of color blindness?"

"Hey!" Haku caught Naruto's smile.

"I mean," Haku said, "If you were trying to be bait, then orange must have been an excellent color."

"He didn't mean to be," Sasuke said, "but bait he was. So many times."

Haku smiled and set down his empty lunchbox lid. He knew that the foreign ninja were trying to be polite to him by going along with his jokes, but the attention was pleasant, all the same.

_And tonight, you're going to go home with your master and tomorrow, all of them may have realized that you're a slave, and that you're not the type to provide company. Then, they can step all over you tomorrow and called you weak and slow. They're all thinking that right now. Some water-nin you are._

The smile left his face, and he watched the fire-nin talk amongst themselves about some old mission they had been on before. Something about someone from the desert or something.

"Naruto," Haku said softly. The blonde ninja turned his attention to him as Sakura and Sasuke argued about some detail of the story.

"What's up?"

He suddenly pulled Naruto close, and whispered in his ear.

"Do they know I'm a slave?"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he looked sad for a moment. He saw the fear on Haku's face, and he understood what he was worried about.

He whispered back, "No. I won't tell them, if you don't want me to." He paused, then added, "Back at the temple, we all call our teachers 'master so-and-so' out of respect. I don't think they suspect anything, but maybe you should call your master 'Master Zabuza' to hide the face that you're…" Naruto looked away, then pulled back from Haku and smiled.

"Done flirting?" Sasuke asked as he took a drink of tea from his thermos.

Naruto gave him a confused look. "Flirting? With who?"

Sakura laughed. "Stupid boys."

"Huh?"

Haku looked away.

Perhaps in realization of an error on his part, Sasuke stood up, brushing himself off. "Hey retard," he said.

"What?' Naruto asked. Sasuke laughed.

"Looks like you know your name. Want to fight, to show Haku our moves?"

Naruto grumbled as he realized that he had answered to 'retard', then said, "Yeah! Get ready for me to kick your ass!" He stood up as well, leaving Sakura and Haku sitting on the grass.

"Remember to stretch!" Sakura shouted at her male teammates. She turned to Haku, and, as soon as the others were out of hearing range, she said, "Something's bothering you."

Haku shrugged. "It's nothing."

"It looks like it's more than nothing," she said. She pushed his shoulder gently. "Don't worry about fighting," she said, startling Haku with her directness. "Maybe we'll just be assigned to stealth or infiltration or something like that. I didn't fight on any of my first three missions because I was so far behind the boys."

Sakura turned her attention to Sasuke and Naruto, who had actually taken her advice to heart and begun stretching. "Master Kakashi pulled my aside after that, and told me that I needed to work on taijutsu if I wanted to become a ninja. He said that even if I was behind the boys, I could probably still hold my own if I worked on it." She smiled. "They're both freaks anyway when they fight. That was one of the reasons that I held back…they're very intimidating."

Haku watched as Sasuke and Naruto took fighting stances. Naruto had lost his outer robe, and Haku now saw that he was wearing a fishnet-looking shirt and black pants underneath.

He looked past the fire-nin to see his master, still working out the mission strategy with Kakashi.

The fight started with Naruto charging. He summoned several clones as he ran towards Sasuke, and said, "Okay, boys, fan out!"

The clones scattered, and one jumped into the air. Sasuke waited for him coolly, and said, "Better make this good!"

Haku noticed that his master and Kakashi had turned towads them now to watch the fight. Zabuza watched in curiosity…Haku wished that he could have that attention.

Sasuke performed a set of hand seals and chants quickly, and brought his hands up to his mouth. To Haku's surprise, the black-haired young man began to breathe fire.

Several clones were sent into oblivion, leaving Naruto and his clone in the air. The airborne clone used the replication technique, resulting in a ring of clones around Sasuke.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, then began a taijutsu pattern that 'killed' every last clone and shocked Haku.

The way he moved was beautiful, and skillful. Naruto had not yet demonstrated as much physical prowess, and Sakura had been less than active, but this young man…that was the sort of skill that Haku wanted. He was part killer, part gymnast, and none of his movements were wastefull.

Sasuke regained his previous stance, and waited for Naruto to charge himself.

"Only four minutes left! Damn it!" the blonde young man shouted. He created a few more clones, and began some sort of new jutsu that Haku couldn't identify.

_Four minutes? Why four minutes?_

The clones raced toward Sasuke, and Naruto shouted, "Again, boys!" Each clone re-replicated, and Sasuke was soon covered in blonde clones.

Two held his arms, and two held his legs. Naruto himself dove towards Sasuke, head first, nailing him in the stomach.

Sasuke crumpled. "Idiot…" he said, coughing. "Aren't you a real ninja?"

Naruto released his clones, and Sasuke stood again. They were very close now, and Naruto glanced at Haku and Sakura for a second before he attacked Sasuke.

His fighting style was not as beautiful as Sasuke's, but Haku felt envious of him, too. He was very aware of his surroundings, and he seemed to be able to take a beating, too.

Naruto caught a foot to the jaw, and stumbled backward.

"Time's up," Sakura called. She stood up and ran to Naruto. "I hope you two had fun," she said as she healed Naruto's wounds. After healing Sasuke, she said, "Boys," and prepared to scold them, but then thought better of it.

Naruto noticed that Haku was staring at him.

"Something wrong?"

Haku hugged his knees, and said, "I didn't know that you two were so good."

Naruto grinned. "You should see Sakura fight. She's like a monster."

Haku blinked. "I thought she was bad at fighting."

"Not anymore," Sasuke said. Sakura elbowed him in the ribcage, then turned to Haku. "I found a new kind of training. And, I don't like to play around like some stupid boys," she said, glaring at Sasuke.

Haku lowered his eyes. "A new kind of training?"

"Yeah, everyone has their own strong points," she said. "Sometimes, you just have to develop what you have."

Nervous again, Haku stood. "There is something I can do," he said.

The ever-polite Sakura clapped her hands together. "Show me!" she said happily.

Haku walked to the water's edge, and took in a breath.

This was his killing skill.

The foreign ninja stared at him as he began to move his hands, focusing on the water in the lake.

As soon as a long snake of water appeared, Sasuke took a step back.

_He's…_

Oblivious to Sasuke's reaction, Haku directed the snake to twirl upon itself, then to straighten out. He looked past the snake and saw that his master and the foreign teacher where watching him.

He took a breath, then forced the snake into the shape of a dragon. "My master…Master Zabuza is teaching me a water-jutsu that looks like this," he said as he made the dragon move. "The jutsu is a little hard, so I decided to work on the dragon first."

"Wow…" Naruto said. Haku looked over his shoulder and realized that the others were staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Haku…" Sasuke paused, then asked, "You didn't use any hand seals, did you?"

"No." He immediately let the dragon crash back down into the water. "This…is something bad, isn't ?"

"What's your last name?" Sakura asked.

Haku was a little surprised by the question. "Why?"

"Just curious."

Haku's brow furrowed. "I don't have one."

"Oh."

Haku looked away. _I should have known better than to show them that! I should have only shown my master…_

He looked across the lake to see his master staring at him. He knew that he had done something wrong, and he knew to expect punishment that night.

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Kakashi stared at Haku from across the lake. "You got any interesting 'student' there," he said, putting emphasis on 'student'.

Zabuza shrugged. "Maybe, if can learn anything."

Kakashi sent a sidelong glance his way. "Does that kid have a bloodline limit?"

"What the hell is that?"

The silver-haired man looked away. _Damn hick town. Damn hick water country. _"It's nothing. It's probably not one, anyway."

Zabuza said, "Whatever. He's just weird, that's all." He looked over the mission plan again.

"Can your girl handle this?"

"Sakura is very accomplished, and she knows how to handle herself."

"Can that kid take care of this by himself?"

"Sasuke is the same as Sakura. He can handle any challenge I give him."

"And can that idiot do that part right?"

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "I'm sure that Naruto is capable of that."

Zabuza glared at him. "I don't know if I can trust you foreigners on this mission. You're not used to the area, or how we do things around here."

"Well, that's probably why that official wanted local ninja on this mission as well." Kakashi rolled up the scroll containing the battle plan. "As for Haku…do you think he's ready for this?"

"He will be."

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	8. Chapter 8

Folded Hands, Chapter Seven

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Note:

Darkrini—

AHHHHH! Thanks for your reviews! You're always so great! And yeah, it was a cliffhanger…that chapter was a lot longer than all the others so far, and I needed to study for an exam, so I just decided to leave it at the best stopping point.

All—

Sorry about the errors. I typed the last chapter REALLY fast.

Also, I kind of skimped on the jutsu names before. I'm now referencing Wikipedia for Haku's, Zabuza's, Sasuke's, etc, attacks. The internet is so useful!

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Haku soon had to bade farewall to the fire-nin. His master had finally finished the mission strategy with the help of the foreign teacher, and Haku was anxious to hear about it.

He watched Zabuza's back all the way home, wondering if his master had pushed for him to have an important role. He still hoped that he wouldn't be forced to dress like a girl, but anything other than that would have delighted him.

Training against the fire-nin had changed Haku's feelings about becoming a ninja. Their spectacular fighting abilities were worthy of envy.

He wanted to catch his master's eye like that.

Haku kept his eyes down for most of the walk home, and neither he nor his master spoke. He let his gaze drift over his master's back and shoulders, and then he looked away.

_He's much better looking than the others were._

He had to fight to keep such thoughts to himself.

"Haku," his master suddenly said, startling him.

"Yes, master?"

Zabuza motioned for Haku to walk beside him. "I need you to wake up bright and early tomorrow," he began. Haku nodded.

"The first part of the plan is familiarization. Tomorrow, you and the black-haired kid are going to give the dealers a visit."

"Dealers?"

Zabuza nodded. "Gatou has a lot of influence in this area. He's already set up a prostitution ring. The pink-haired kid is going to do go in from this angle." Haku swallowed nervously. He couldn't imagine Sakura as a prostitute, but he nodded.

"You and that other kid are going to get to know the area by visiting the local drug dealers. We've been informed that shipments generally come in the day after tomorrow, so we're going to attack then. They should be dry tomorrow, or so I've been told," he said, adding a shrug to show his conviction in this information. "Either way, you two are going to start from that angle."

"What am I supposed to do, Master?" Haku asked.

"Just ask them for something. Dealers are always willing to give kids a try because they're so easy to hook." Zabuza glanced over Haku's face to make sure that he was listening. "They'll probably talk to you two without suspecting anything. While you're there, look around. Check out the layout of Gatou's base if you get close enough."

Haku nodded. "I'll do my best."

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Daylight came, and Haku awoke soon after. He dressed, prepared breakfast, and waited for the black-haired fire-nin to arrive.

Sasuke knocked on the door to Zabuza's house while Haku practiced the hand seals for the Water Dragon Bullet technique. He answered the door quickly to see Sasuke standing with his arms folded. He was wearing all-black that day, and looked unhappy.

"Good morning," Haku greeted him. Sasuke returned the greeting.

"I need to go tell my mas—Master Zabuza that I'm going," Haku said. Sasuke nodded and yawned.

Haku left the door ajar as he crossed the living room and rapped his knuckle against Zabuza's door. "Master?" he asked softly.

Zabuza opened the door. "Time for you to go?" he asked, completely awake.

Haku nodded and fought to keep his eyes on his master's face. He had realized for the first time the night before that his master was…almost attractive…in a certain way, and he knew that his master wouldn't like it.

"Yes, master," he said, keeping his voice soft so that Sasuke couldn't hear the title he used to address Zabuza.

There were a few seconds in which Haku simply waited for his master to say something. Zabuza then told him to leave with a wave of his hand, and Haku quickly turned on his heel and joined Sasuke outside.

He paused before he shut the door. He saw that his master had left his room now, and was preparing to eat in the small dining room. Haku shut the door and tried to focus on the mission.

Sasuke looked at him blearily, then said, "Let's go…" and began to walk away from the small house.

Haku followed him at first, then caught up to Sasuke.

_I need to remember to not project myself as a slave to these foreign ninja, _he thought. His mind returned to his master.

_Master almost never leaves his room before I've awoken…does he feel uncomfortable around me? Maybe he wakes up before me everyday, but he doesn't want to be bothered with waking me, so he just stays in his room so he won't have to deal with me…_

"Haku?"

Haku's attention snapped to Sasuke, who was giving him another bleary look. Haku now realized that there were dark circles under the fire-nin's eyes, and he looked absolutely miserable.

"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm. "Are you sick?"

Sasuke smiled. "I…I need coffee…or something…" He shrugged and looked around the marketplace. Haku realized that they had already come so far…and he hadn't been paying attention at all!

_Some ninja you are._

_Caught up in thoughts about your master…_

"Coffee?" Haku asked politely, trying to keep his mind on the day's mission.

"Yeah." Sasuke frowned. "Last night, some RETARD kept going on about how he wanted to do today's mission." He sighed. "Naruto kept nagging me and kept saying that if I was going to check out the dealers, I had to look like a drug addict."

"Oh." Haku felt foolish for not thinking of that himself.

"So, he kept me up all night. At first," Sasuke said, looking around the stalls, "He just whined and said, 'I should go on this mission! I'm a great actor!' and then I said, 'No, you're not, and that doesn't really matter anyway." The smile returned to his face. "Then, I ignored him and tried to go to sleep…and he kept throwing things at me, saying that I couldn't be a good ninja if I wouldn't try harder to act on my missions…"

He looked around then, suddenly very irritated. "Where the fuck is the coffee?"

Haku smiled as he watched the fire-nin look for 'coffee' on the menus of the nearby stalls. "It's called café here," he said. Sasuke was almost funny when he was sleep-deprived, he decided.

He wasn't as charming as Naruto, though.

Haku felt that this was going to be a long day.

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They arrived at Gatou's estate within that hour. Sasuke was still tired, but Haku agreed with Naruto in that sleep-deprivation would make anyone look like a drug user. Sasuke looked like he would kill for…well, Haku didn't know much about drugs, but he did know that Sasuke looked hungover.

He had a lot of experience with hungover men.

As Haku began to remember something from his time with his past master, two men (presumably Gatou's) shouted at him and Sasuke from the lawn area of the estate.

"Hey! What are you two doing here?"

The nervousness immediately returned to Haku. _We're walking, _he thought. _No, we're FUCKING walking._ He secretly hoped that Sasuke's language would not rub off on him.

Sasuke waved back. "Can we talk to you?" he shouted to the two men.

As the men crossed the lawn, Sasuke held his head in his hands again. "Do you have any idea of what to do?" he asked Haku under his breath.

"No idea at all."

"Fuck." Sasuke closed his eyes. "I can't even think straight right now."

Haku swallowed nervously as he tried to scrap together a background story explaining why two teenagers would want to visit drug dealers shortly after daylight.

The problem began to resolve itself when one of the men greeted them loudly. "Hey, kids, do your parents know where you are?"

Haku was completely taken aback by the question, but Sasuke looked up from his hands and smiled. "Hell, I don't know where THEY are, so I think we're even."

"Ha!" The man who had greeted them loudly nudged his companion in the arm. "Funny little shit, huh?"

The second man glared at him.

"So, kiddoes," he said, turning his attention back to Sasuke and Haku, "What are you in the market for today?"

"Just wanted to see if there were any Country of Water specialties," Sasuke said.

"You're a foreigner?" The man looked him over. "Should've known. Weird shoes."

Sasuke sent Haku a sidelong look, and Haku decided that it was time to speak up. "Do you have anything in right now, or do we need to come back later?"

The man threw his hands up in the air. "The stuff we sell on the street was bought out half a week ago! We've been practically dry and we've lost god knows how much business to the street-corner guys," he said angrily. "But since you kids were nice enough to come down here, how about a little taste of the finer stuff?"

It was Haku's turn to look at Sasuke for help. Sasuke turned to the men and said, "Nah, don't want to try something I can't afford."

"Come on!" The man practically roared. His expression was a mix of amusement and frustration. "Don't tell me that you came all the way out here, and made us come over here and be all friendly, just to pussy out when you got close to getting your hands on some."

Haku began to panic. The man seemed to have become more irate. "W-we're just not sure…"

The man turned on him. "Your friend's already halfway into the other world, but how about you? Come on, just a little."

Haku glared at the dealer. _Is this what 'pushing' is?_

"I…I'm not sure…"

"Oh come on! Did you just let your friend drag you down here?" The man sneered, then elbowed his companion again. "Is this kid a pussy or what?"

That awful word again!

The man's companion just said, "Yeah, what a pushover."

Haku looked to Sasuke for help, but the loud man said, "No, don't look at him. I'm talking to you, kid. Can't you make a decision for yourself?"

Sasuke tried to send Haku a look saying, 'Whatever, let's go,' but Haku's attention was fixed on the dealer.

"Fine, I'll just try it," he said, trying to glare down the loud man. "What is it?"

The quiet companion produced a small capsule. He opened the capsule and pulled a small yellow tablet. The loud man took the tablet from him.

"Down this, and you won't believe the thing's you'll see," he said.

Haku held out his hand, and the tablet was dropped into his palm. He looked at it cautiously, and Sasuke tried to use the opportunity to stop what was about to happen.

"Look, he can take it later, let's go," he said, tugging on Haku's robe.

"Let him decide by himself. He knows what he wants to do."

Sasuke glared daggers at the dealer and watched helplessly as Haku swallowed the tablet.

"Sweet dreams," the loud man said as he left them for Gatou's base. "Make sure you come back later!"

When the dealers were out of eyesight, Sasuke grabbed Haku's shoulder. "Why'd you take it?" he asked angrily.

Haku looked away and shrugged. "I thought it was the only way they'd leave us alone."

"You don't even know…" Sasuke grabbed his head again. "Whatever, let's get out of here."

Haku followed him. He now realized that it had been a mistake to take the pill, but ten minutes passed and he still didn't feel anything.

"How is it?" Sasuke asked as they trudged through the forest on the way to Zabuza's house.

"I don't know," Haku said. "I think that they gave me the wrong thing."

Sasuke stopped walking. "Let's not go back until it kicks in."

"Why?"

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto's done stuff like that before. Let's just say that it'll be better if it hits you here, then if it hits you when you're in front of your teacher. Less to explain that way."

Haku nodded. "What do you think's going to happen?"

"No idea. They didn't say much about it…"

Haku suddenly felt very light. "Hey…"

Sasuke took a step toward him. "Is it starting?"

"Hey…"

Sasuke watched him as he began to sway back and forth. Haku almost fell back, but stopped himself. He tried to walk towards Sasuke, but the he found that he couldn't close the distance between them, and when he stopped trying to walk, the distance between them grew.

Haku began to look irritated. "Haku?"

"Hey…"

He tried to say something else, like , 'where are you' or 'what am I doing' but all that he could say was that one stupid word. He tried to say something else, but he felt like he had lost control of his body.

Haku sank to his knees, but he didn't feel the pain of falling. He rocked back and forth, and Sasuke knelt a few feet away from him. "Haku?"

He couldn't say anything now. He couldn't raise his head to look at Sasuke. He began to see…things.

It all came back right then. The alcohol, the bathhouse, towels, brushing his hair, the trial, the windmill, his skinny arms…the water dripping from the laundry…the frozen laundry line…

He felt stronger arms, stronger hands on his shoulders, and he couldn't look up. The hands grabbed him, pulled him forward, and someone with a deep voice was shouting at him.

How had this happened? How had be become so weak? He realized that he had always been like this, as weak as a little girl, unable to do anything, just being pushed around…his arms gave way and the strong hands tried to lift him up.

More shouting. He had to try harder, right?

Try WHAT harder? For who? For what? Why couldn't his master just fuck off? Why couldn't the orphanage director just fuck off? He was happy being on the ground…but they pushed him around…

He thought that, when he had first fallen, that he had been able to see leaves on the forest floor. The colors all blended together now and he couldn't see anything, but when he closed his eyes…

Haku was pulled forward again.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!"

Haku sat up quickly, lashing out by striking Sasuke in the face. He realized where he was and who he was with now, and what he had just said…he covered his mouth with his hands as he realized that he was still talking, unable to stop himself.

"YOU GODDAMNED SICKO! I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU AND I HATE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO AND I HATE THE THINGS YOU MAKE ME DO AND I DON'T WANT TO CALL YOU MASTER ANYMORE AND I--"

Sasuke's form came into sharp focus, and the black-haired fire-nin stared at him in shock, not sure of what to make of the outburst.

Tears were streaming down Haku's cheeks then, and he realized that they were the reason that his vision had been blurry. He held his breath for a moment as he stared at Sasuke, who stared back at him, and then he tried to wipe his face with the sleeves of his robe.

"I-I'm sorry that I'm always like this…I always mess up…I'm so stupid…" he lamented. "Everything's so obvious but I…I get it all mixed up…"

Sasuke continued to stare at him.

"Haku…"

Haku hid his face in his hands. "Please don't leave me here."

"Of course not." Sasuke sat beside him, but was careful not to touch him. "Just…whenever you're ready to go…"

"Hey."

"What?" Sasuke moved so that he could look into Haku's face. "Is it happening again?"

Haku pulled his hands away from his face, then wiped his eyes and gave Sasuke a weak smile.

"I bet that stuff won't sell very well after the first week."

Sasuke was surprised by the joke, but then he forced himself to smile. "Maybe it was a bad batch."

"Really bad."

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They returned to Zabuza's house about thirty minutes later. Haku had calmed down after the first outburst, and kept apologizing for the things he'd said.

"It's okay," Sasuke said every time. "If it was Naruto, then he probably would've done something way worse." He smiled. "If it was Sakura, well, I don't think that normal drugs work on her anymore…not after than medical training…

Haku was more worried about what he'd said during his outbursts, though. There were some things that he wanted to keep secret from everyone, even from his master. Sasuke seemed smarter than most, and Haku was afraid that we would start to piece together Haku's history.

What was more frightening was the possibility that Sasuke would put it together incorrectly.

When they reached the door to Zabuza's house, Haku found a note pinned to the front door.

"We're at the lake again. Come quickly."

Haku handed the note to Sasuke, who rolled his eyes. "I need some god damned sleep…" he groaned.

Haku nodded and then began to walk towards the lake. His thoughts still rested on Sasuke, though, and he couldn't bite back what he was thinking.

"Sasuke."

"What's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Haku swallowed nervously. "About the things I said…" he tried to judge the nature of those things from Sasuke's reaction. Sasuke looked away.

"About those things…I was with someone else until a short while ago."

He stopped walking, and said, "Even if you don't know what happened…exactly…I need you to know that."

Sasuke stared at him. "So, you're saying that that person…isn't around right now?"

Haku nodded. The shame began to weigh down on him.

_Sasuke knows now. He knows that I'm a slave, and that…_

Sasuke looked away. "You're a slave, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"So Zabuza owns you."

"Yes."

"So Zabuza is your master."

"…yes."

"And…" Sasuke gave him a level look. "…and that person isn't around right now?"

"No."

"When we're at the lake, will that person be around?"

"No."

Sasuke didn't seem entirely satisfied with that answer, so Haku added, "That person is not able to do anything any longer."

"Not able to do anything?"

Haku was torn between telling Sasuke exactly WHY his old master couldn't do anything to him, and keeping his past confidential. He closed his eyes and forced out, "Not anything at all."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment, then said, "If that changes, tell me."

"I'm sorry that you had to know."

"No, it's better that someone knows." He looked away. "Does anyone else know?"

"Naruto does. And your teacher might, too."

"Kakashi?" he asked. "Well, I don't know if it makes a difference to him." he sighed. "Naruto has a big mouth, though."

Haku began to walk again, and Sasuke walked beside him. As they neared the lake, he whispered,

"Please don't tell my master that you know either."

Sasuke nodded, and tried to keep his face neutral.

The four other ninja came into focus right then, all together at the water's edge.

Naruto was the first to take notice of his teammate and new friend. "Hey! Haku and the jackass are here!" he shouted as he ran towards them. Next to him, Kakashi glanced towards the newcomers, and Zabuza didn't pay them any attention as he ran over the mission plan with the foreign teacher. Sakura was reading a book while lying on a nearby blanket.

Naruto hit Sasuke's shoulder at the first opportunity. "Hey, you don't look so good!" he said, smirking.

"That's because you didn't let me sleep last night," Sasuke said through his teeth.

"Some ninja you are!"

"I can't believe that you stayed up all night too, and you're still so…" Sasuke glared at his comrade. "Oh, I don't feel like it anymore." He pushed past Naruto and started to talk to Sakura, looking more at the comfortable blanket she was lying on than at her face.

Naruto almost hit Haku's shoulder too, but he restrained himself. "You okay? You don't look so good either."

Haku shrugged, then walked towards his master without saying a word to Naruto.

"Master…Zabuza?" he asked.

If Zabuza had noticed the change in his title, he didn't say anything about it. "How'd it go?" he asked gruffly, not looking at Haku as he studied something in Gatou's information folder.

"A-alright." Haku looked to Sasuke for help to find that Sasuke had taken up residence on Sakura's pink picnic blanket, leaving Sakura to find a reading place on a nearby patch of grass.

"Did you find anything?"

Haku came back to the present. The mission! They had gone for a reason! Oh god, he had forgotten…

"Well, when we got there, these guys ran us off…"

Zabuza glared at him. "It's easy to tell when you're lying. What happened?"

Haku swallowed. "We didn't learn anything. I…well, I forgot what I was supp--"

"Whatever." He held up a scroll. "We found the guy who designed the base, so we 'politey coerced' him into giving us the plans."

"He even gave us tea," Kakashi said in good humor, smiling at Haku through his half-mask.

"Oh," Haku said. He was somewhat stunned by the sudden turn of events, but he tried to keep it to himself. He suddenly felt exhausted.

"We're busy, so go play with the other kids," Zabuza said, waving him off.

Haku nodded, crushed, and he joined Sakura at her resting place.

Sakura closed her book. "You don't look so good. Did something happen?"

Haku shrugged. "Nothing, really." What a waste of a day.

Naruto sat down next to Haku and Sakura so that they sat in a triangle. "What's up, guys?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged, and ignored Naruto. "Haku, was Sasuke mean to you? You see, he's really not good with sleep deprivation…" She glanced at a now-snoring Sasuke. "Out like a light."

"No, but…" Haku turned his attention to Naruto. "He knows now."

"He knows?" Naruto's eyes widened and Haku shrugged. "You can tell her too, for all I care."

"Tell me what?" Sakura asked, glancing at Kakashi and Zabuza before whispering, "Is there a secret?"

Naruto smiled. "Er, not really. You see, Sasuke thought Haku was a girl this morning, and--"

Sakura hit Naruto over the head. "Like I'd believe that!"

"Children, quiet down…" Kakashi said in his usual bored voice. Sakura ducked her head down.

"Haku, whatever it is, you can tell me," she said. "Come on, don't just tell the boys…"

"I…" Haku wasn't sure of how to say it. So far, Naruto and Sasuke had each learned that he was a slave without him having to be the one who said it.

Naruto interrupted him. "I'll tell her later, okay?"

Haku quickly nodded.

_It's probably better that way._

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"What?"

"I'm not kidding!"

Sasuke looked up from his hotel bed to see a furious Sakura backing Naruto against a wall. Naruto held his hands up to protect himself.

"Guys…" he whimpered. "Shut up already…."

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted. "Naruto said that Haku was Zabuza's slave!" She glared at her blonde comrade. "Just because someone obeys their teacher, doesn't mean that they're a slave, you idiot! Do you have any idea of how pissed Haku would be if he heard you say something like that?"

"Honest!" Naruto shouted, jumping onto his bed in his flight. "Haku really is a slave! Like a master-slave thing! I'm not joking!"

"Naruto!"

Sasuke forced himself up as Naruto tumbled towards his bed. "He's telling the truth," he said to Sakura. She immediately froze as she knelt on Naruto's bed.

"What?"

Sasuke nodded. "I found out today. Haku kind of told me on accident."

Sakura stared at him. "But I thought that slavery was illegal."

"I think the laws are different in this country."

Naruto sat down on his own bed now, next to Sakura. "It's still not right, though."

Sasuke nodded. "I was really surprised when I found out, myself. It kind of makes sense, though…he's always so polite, and shy…"

Kakashi knocked on the door to the boys' room. "Kiddoes, it's after dark. Boys and girls in separate rooms."

Sakura blushed and left Naruto's and Sasuke's room quickly.

"Lights out." Kakashi said, turning off the light in their room.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted.

"Thank god…" Sasuke said.

Naruto lay in bed for a few minutes, not sure of what to think of Haku's situation.

"Hey retard."

Naruto fought to not answer, then Sasuke said, "Don't tell Haku I told you this, but…"

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As Haku fell asleep that night, his reaction to the drug came back. He stayed awake for hours, waiting for an invisible threat.

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	9. Chapter 9

Folded Hands, Chapter Nine

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Thanks for all the reviews!

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Haku and Zabuza met the foreign ninja again at the lake the next day. To Haku's surprise (and possible to his master's) three of the four other ninja arrived at the lake on time.

"Haku!" Naruto shouted, waving Haku over. Haku paused for a moment, but then shook his head and sent a sideways look towards his master to show that he wasn't free to come to Naruto's side.

Naruto looked confused for a moment.

That was when the fireworks began.

"HEY!" Naruto shouted to Zabuza. "Let Haku come over, you weirdo!" He glared at Zabuza.

Haku's eyes widened, and he glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke tried to shrug it off, but the guilt on his face told Haku everything he needed to know. He had told Naruto what Haku had said after he had taken the pill. Haku knew that the information may have been relayed out of context, or that Naruto may have jumped to conclusions.

He decided to wait.

Meanwhile, his master waved Naruto off and joined Kakashi, where he was looking over the battle plans once more. A map of Gatou's place, as well as laminated photos of the VIP's and files on ninjas who were suspected to be in Gatou's employ were scattered over the rock.

Naruto continued to glare at Zabuza as he continued to ignore him. "What's there left to go over?" he asked the foreign teacher.

Kakashi's expression was bland as usual. "Not much. I just like to cover the details." He glanced at his two male students, who were watching the teachers. "Let's send them off for a while."

Zabuza nodded and turned to Haku. "Go practice on the other side of the lake," he said, still ignoring Naruto's inexplicable glaring.

Haku lowered his eyes, turned, and silently began to walk.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, looking from the water-nin to his teacher to Zabuza and then back to Haku. "I need to talk to you!" he shouted, chasing after Haku.

Sasuke sighed and followed Naruto. "Dumbass, what did I say earlier?" He shouted at Naruto's back.

Haku fought back tears as he continued to walk. Naruto nearly crashed into him when he caught up to him, but he steadied himself and continued to walk, blinking back tears.

"Haku," Naruto said more softly this time. Haku looked at Naruto now. The blonde ninja looked angry and concerned.

Haku continued to ignore him. He didn't know what to do about this.

Sasuke caught up to them now and whispered, "Haku, calm down. Naruto, shut up."

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. He glared at his teammate and caught Haku's arm, spinning him around.

Haku kept his eyes down and asked, "Where is Sakura today, Naruto?" he asked softly, in the same voice he always used. He smiled at Naruto then, the same smile he'd used when they first met.

This surprised Naruto to no small extent. "Sakura…?"

Haku nodded. "I noticed that Sakura isn't here."

This made Naruto stop in his tracks. He tightened his grip on Haku's arm. "Don't change the subject," he growled.

Haku looked away and said, "Sasuke didn't explain it correctly, then?"

Naruto snorted. "He explained it to me, alright."

"Naruto, would you let go of him?" Sasuke hissed. Kakashi and Zabuza were staring at them right then. Naruto dropped Haku's arm, and Haku felt relieved for an entire second.

"Hey! BANDAGE FACE!"

Naruto had now turned from Haku to his master. Zabuza stared at him, but didn't say anything. The blonde young man continued to advance.

"Naruto!" Sasuke hissed. He glanced at Haku apologetically for a moment, then ran after Naruto.

Haku swallowed nervously. _Do they all think…now…that Zabuza…_

He felt sick. He wanted to stay with this master, and one of the worst things that he could have done would be to spread rumors to free men that his master would…do that to him.

Another wave of relief came over Haku when he saw that Sasuke had succeeded in dragging Naruto back to where he was frozen. His master looked somewhat amused and somewhat confused. His eyes never strayed to his slave, and Haku hoped that his master did not link Naruto's odd behavior back to him.

Naruto struggled against Sasuke, still glaring at Zabuza. Sasuke fought to keep Naruto's hands apart so that he could not form any hand seals.

"Idiot!" he hissed. Naruto did not take his eyes away from Zabuza, and Haku continued to watch their struggle. A bland mask had settled over his face.

"I'll release it, right here," Naruto said. Haku didn't know what he was talking about, but he had stopped listening. He felt dead inside. He knew that they wouldn't believe his side of the story….

"You wouldn't," Sasuke said. He let Naruto go, though.

"I would!" Naruto shouted. Haku noticed that they had once again earned the adult's attention, though Kakashi and Zabuza soon lost interest in what they probably thought was a kids' fight.

"That guy…." Naruto growled, glaring at Zabuza. He turned to Haku. "If he does anything, I swear that I'll kill him."

"Naruto." Sasuke said, trying to calm down his teammate. "Please, just listen to what Haku has to say."

"How much did you tell him?" Haku asked flatly.

Sasuke looked away guiltily. "I told him that you said one of your masters abused you, but that you said it wasn't Zabuza."

"Then why would you tell him?" Haku asked, the anger beginning to show in his voice.

"In case that started to change." Sasuke said. It was an admission that he did not trust Zabuza, or Haku, or both.

"Haku," Naruto said. He hadn't lost much steam from earlier. "Why shouldn't he have told me? Do you think that we should just let him rape you?"

That heavy word instantly weighed down the atmosphere, and Haku stared at Naruto for what felt like hours. Naruto glared back at him, still angry, and not sure of where to direct the anger.

"Zabuza has never touched me," Haku said under his breath, at last. "He doesn't even want to. It was my LAST master who did those things to me."

"See?" Sasuke asked Naruto. "It wasn't Zabuza." He wasn't sure of that himself, but he didn't want Naruto to cause any more trouble than he already had.

Tears began to gather in Haku's eyes, and he dried his eyes with the sleeve of his training robe. "Please, don't shout at my master like that."

Naruto looked defeated now. "You're still going to stand up for him?"

"Like I said, he has never touched me." Haku looked down in shame. "Not even affectionately."

"Not…what?"

"Never mind." Haku dried his eyes again. "The mission starts in a few days. I still…I still can't fight, so please," he said, looking at Naruto, "please help me train."

Naruto stared at him.

"How can you think about that?"

"There's nothing else for me to think about."

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Haku, come over here," he said, beginning to move away from his fuming teammate. "I'll help you train."

"Thank you, Sasuke," Haku said. He bowed slightly to Naruto, who didn't move, and followed Sasuke to the lake's shore.

_Do they all think that now? _He thought. _I don't want this to get in the way of the mission. I don't want any of the foreigners to think badly of Master, either._

Sasuke stopped when Naruto was no longer in hearing range. He turned to face Haku, and Haku realized that Sasuke may have had his own opinions on the matter of his relationship with Zabuza. He bit the inside of his cheek and waited for whatever Sasuke was going to say.

"Sakura has already left for her part of the mission," Sasuke said in a very business-like tone. Haku stared dumbly for a moment, then nodded.

"We have three days until the mission. According to Master Kakashi, I will enter from the west side of the base, Sakura will attack from the inside, Kakashi and your master will come in from the north, and you and Naruto will attack from the south."

Sasuke kept a straight face. Even as he called Zabuza Haku's master, his expression showed no bitterness as Naruto's would have, nor did it show the arrogance Haku might have expected from a free man.

"Kakashi and your master will go after the VIP's, since they will most likely have the better-trained bodyguards. Sakura will serve as a guide, and she'll meet and assist each group in turn."

"What are Naruto and I supposed to do?" Haku asked.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who was sitting on a rock near the shore, sulking. "You two will take on the southern guards. Master Kakashi said that the layout of the base suggests that that side needs heavy protection, so you should expect to meet a lot of guards."

"Guards?"

"Probably low-level ninja. They might even be kids. Naruto should be able to take most of them down; you'll be back-up."

Haku nodded. He knew that they couldn't expect much from him.

"So, I guess you don't really need to train me then."

"Yes, I do."

He grinned weakly. "Why? It's obvious that I'm not essential to the mission. I could probably hide behind a tree and let Naruto do everything for me."

"Well, that might be best," Sasuke replied. "Master Kakashi asked me to train you, though."

"Why?"

Sasuke gave him a hard look. "Don't you want to learn?"

"I don't want to drag you down." Haku started to stare at the ground.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Haku did want to learn. He wanted to please his new master.

What Haku didn't want was to have to interact with these ninja anymore. Now that they all suspected that his master was sexually abusing him, there was no way that he could be viewed as an equal.

He didn't understand how any of them could have thought that his Master would even want to touch him. That wasn't normal. His feelings for his new Master weren't normal. He knew that they had to be hidden, just as his last master had hidden what he did to him.

Haku glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke had folded his arms, and was staring at the lake. Haku began to worry that he had made him upset.

_Sasuke was just trying to be generous…_

_What's wrong with me?_

"I'm sorry," he said. Sasuke shook his head.

"I really do want to train," he said shakily. "But first, I need you to understand that my master really isn't doing anything to me."

Sasuke turned to him then, looking guilty. "I know that he probably isn't. And I just told Naruto about those things you said because I know that he cares about you, and if something was to happen…he'd want to keep you safe."

Haku was confused. "Naruto cares about me?" he asked, looking past Sasuke to see Naruto, still sulking on his rock. "I don't think I'd like that."

"Well…I just mean that he has a big heart. He thinks that everyone is his best friend. And he doesn't like to see his friends get hurt, or let themselves get hurt."

Haku drank that in.

"He's not really mad at you. He knows that he often jumps to conclusions or meddles with things that he has no business in. He's probably just berating himself for flying off the handle." Sasuke said. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Oh."

In that moment of silence, Haku let his emotions settle. He was on training ground, wasn't he? And Sasuke, a skilled ninja, was offering to teach him how to fight, wasn't he? And he wanted to learn so that he could please his master, right?

Haku looked across the lake to see his Master speaking with Kakashi. It seemed as though they were speaking casually now.

He swallowed nervously, then turned his attention to Sasuke. He tried to pull together his pride.

"Is it okay for you to train me now?"

Sasuke nodded. "I'll start with the basics, and I'll go slow. Sakura isn't here to heal your wounds, so we can't work as intensely as I'd like."

"Alright." Haku bowed slightly.

"I'm in your hands."

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Naruto stared at the lake. _Stupid lake. You're supposed to go swimming when there's water, but it's too cold here. Stupid country. I can't wait to go back to the Fire Country._

He sighed and rested his head on his hands. He could hear his teacher and Zabuza speaking a distance away, talking about old missions they'd been on. Naruto's interested was piqued when he heard Kakashi mention Yondaime, but he didn't feel like interrupting their conversation. He gradually tuned them out, thinking about the rock he was sitting on instead.

_This rock is cold._

He heard Zabuza laugh, a low, scary laugh. He glared at his back, but didn't say anything.

_I would have released it, too. If he does anything…I know that he's stronger than me, probably, but if he touches Haku I'll beat the shit out of him. Slavery should be illegal in this country._

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Haku shout. He looked up suddenly and saw that Haku was fighting Sasuke.

_Haku sucks._

The long-haired water-nin's fist went straight for Sasuke's face. Sasuke caught his arm with one hand (his 'forward' hand) and struck Haku across the face—or rather he would have, if he hadn't stopped just short of Haku's face.

He then dropped his hold, and gave Haku some kind of instruction. Haku nodded, then tied his hair back and shed his outer robe. He entered a fighting stance again, and looked at Sasuke for a few seconds before trying to strike him.

Naruto knew that Haku must have felt incredibly intimidated by Sasuke. Who wouldn't be? Sasuke scared the shit out of him sometimes too, and he was the Demonic Child!

He rested his head on his hands again.

_Stupid big mouth._

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Notes:

You can't spell Sasuke without uke!

Not that that has any bearing on anything.


	10. Chapter 10

Folded Hands, Chapter Ten

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Thanks for 2500+ hits!

All of your reviews have been wonderful!

Also, three cheers for the cute new Naruto OP! I love this song!

And lastly, remember what I said about technology. They have whatever I say they have.

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Sasuke let Haku take a break from his training after about an hour. By that time, Haku was tired, bruised, and his lungs were burning. He glanced at Naruto for a moment before sitting down on the grass.

Sasuke sat down next to him. "Tired?"

Haku nodded. No words were needed.

He lied down on the grass and put his arms behind his head as he tried to slow his breathing and his heartbeat. He was a little ashamed that he could be so winded, when the fire-nin sitting next to him looked so unaffected, but it was to be expected.

Haku shut his eyes. He heard Sasuke move beside him, and he guessed that Sasuke was leaving so he could speak with Naruto. He didn't move, though, and instead silently dreaded Naruto's reaction to anything that Sasuke may have decided to say to him.

Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over him. Haku opened his eyes and saw his Master standing over him, next to his head. "How's the training?"

Haku sat up quickly, and faced his Master so that he was in a kneeling position. "J-just fine, just taking a break, Master," he said nervously. Zabuza nodded and knelt beside him.

"He did a number on you," he said, indicating a bruise on Haku's face. Sasuke had cursed quite heavily when he had accidentally dealt him that bruise.

Haku nodded. "I'll be more careful next time, Master," he said quietly, smiling gently.

"Good," Zabuza said before standing up. "It's time to go."

"What?" Haku asked, looking back at the other ninja. Kakashi had finished packing up the mission materials, and Sasuke was standing with his back to him, listening to something his teacher was saying. Haku caught Naruto's eye for a second as the scarred fire-nin gave him a sideways look, then turned away quickly.

"We're parting ways for now. All of the details are set, and it would be suspicious for the five of us to spend any more time together," Zabuza said.

"Oh," Haku said. His Master smiled under the bandages on his face.

_He wants to say goodbye, huh?_

"Come on. We're going to meet once more before the mission starts."

"Yes, master."

Haku gave Naruto's back one more glance, then turned to follow his Master back to their small house, keeping his eyes on his Master's back and not letting them look towards the fire-nin.

Obedience was expected.

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When they reached the clearing that the house was centered in, Zabuza put down his gear pack and turned to face his slave.

"Show me what you learned today," he said.

Haku was a little surprised, but he obeyed by dropping his own gear and tying back his hair.

Zabuza took a standing, passive stance, and said, "Just come at me. Try something. Don't worry about hurting me."

Haku couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I can't worry about hurting you," he said softly. He bit his lip after he said this…he was tired, and he knew that he was more likely to talk back in that state.

Luckily, his Master let it pass, like always.

_Maybe he doesn't mind my attitude. Maybe, he doesn't even think that I'm disrespectful._

Haku prepared himself for his attack. He tried to remember everything that Sasuke had told him, but the information all flooded back to him so quickly, and it was difficult to sort out. In his nervousness, that day's training turned into a mix of garbled suggestions that only clouded his mind.

_What should I do?_

He swallowed nervously. His Master was waiting passively, staring at him with his usual relaxed expression.

Haku took a step forward. His body was weighed down with indecision. Walking, moving, breathing felt awkward and unnatural. What was he supposed to do to his Master's body? Punch? Kick? What was expected?

He stopped mid-step.

"It doesn't matter what you do, just try something," his Master said. Haku nodded nervously.

_Just forget everything! Attack! Just run at him and try whatever seems right!_

Haku closed his eyes, took a breath, and struck. He found himself on the ground four seconds later, and the air was forced out of his lungs.

"Master?..."

Zabuza chuckled. "I said don't worry about me getting hurt. I'm still going to hurt you."

Haku let that run through his head.

_Hurt me? How much?_

His body already ached from his training with Sasuke, and, without Sakura around to heal his wounds, he was limited to his usual stamina…which was very, very small. Haku knew that he was in no shape to train with his Master.

He pulled himself off the ground, dusted his clothing, and prepared himself to strike again. Zabuza nodded, then took his defensive stance again.

This time, he tried a kick. His master caught his leg and forced his upper body to drop to the ground, placing him in an uncomfortable position. He held him there for only a second before releasing him.

Haku pulled himself up again, and dusted off his clothing.

This was Haku's mistake.

As soon as his hands touched his robe, he felt his Master's hand strike his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He crumpled to the ground, trying desperately to breathe, and his Master knelt down by him.

"I didn't say that we were pausing, Haku."

Haku nodded, unable to speak as he fought for air.

"We're going to keep going until you get a sense for this. You have no experience in fist fights, and there won't always be water around for you to manipulate. The only way for you to learn how to fight, is to fight." Haku had caught his breath by then, and raised his face so that he was able to look straight at his master.

"There's no point in being kind when I'm training you. Kindness will only hurt you later. That black-haired kid shouldn't have been so easy on you." He grabbed Haku's arm then, and pulled him to his feet.

"I'm going to make sure that you won't die on this mission. I'm not going to save you if you get yourself into a dangerous situation. I need you to be able to save yourself."

Haku nodded.

"We're going to keep going until the sun sets." The sky was already streaked with red, orange, and violet, so Haku knew that that wouldn't be a very long period of time.

"Yes, master," he said softly.

Zabuza looked over his slave. He was bruised, and looked incredibly fragile. This young man had potential, though, even if none of his previous masters had been able to see it. He was equally glad that he had been able to find this slave and disappointed that no one had thought of training him when he was younger.

Haku drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, then exhaled. He opened his eyes to see that his Master had once again adopted a defensive stance and was waiting for his attack.

_I'll try my hardest to please you, Master._

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Sunset found Haku lying on the ground, sweating, bruised worse than before, and utterly miserable. His master stood over him for a moment, then decided against offering him a hand in standing up.

"I'll make dinner. Come in when you can."

Haku watched his Master pick up both of their gear packs, and return to the house. He stayed where he was for a few minutes, trying to gather the strength to stand.

When he made his way into the house, he was greeted by the sight of his master slicing a block of beef from his last shopping trip into thin pieces. _There goes the beef stew…_

Zabuza motioned for him to sit on the couch when he saw him. "Just rest for the rest of tonight."

Haku nodded dumbly at the man who had so easily caused him bodily harm, and sat down on the couch. Without turning around, he tried to guess what his master was making.

_It sounds like he's finished with the beef, and now he's chopping something…it smells like onion. And now, there's lime. He keeps going for the spices, too. Now, more chopping…probably more vegetables…_

"Didn't you buy any cilantro?"

Haku nearly jumped. He ran the question through his mind for a second, then answered, "No, Master. I've never used that for cooking before."

Zabuza snorted. "Buy some next time."

_Cilantro?_

Not long after, his Master handed him a plate. The contents looked unfamiliar, even though Haku had bought them only a few days ago.

"Try it," his Master said.

Haku nodded, and took a bite as his Master turned away and walked to the table, where he began to eat. Haku was somewhat glad for this, because the second the food touched his tongue, he spat it out.

_Spicy!_

Haku looked over his shoulder at his Master, who was eating gracefully (or, more gracefully than a person who had spat out a mouthful of food).

Not only that, but…the bandages were off.

He stared at his Master for a few seconds before Zabuza said (without looking up), "Eat."

Haku turned around quickly, blushing. He hoped that his Master had mistaken his fascination with curiosity and not...well…

Zabuza's face was hard and strong, and very masculine. It seemed as though he hadn't shaved for a day or two, and the stubble combined with the strength of his face, the hardness of his eyes, his heavy browbones, and the lack of eyebrows gave Haku the impression that his Master was indeed very…tough, just as Naruto had thought.

_Naruto._

"I don't hear any eating."

Haku nearly jumped, and realized that he might have been insulting his Master by not eating. He eyed the plate of food warily and softly asked, "May I have a glass of water?"

He heard his Master's chair scratch the tiles of the dining room floor, and his Master's heavy footsteps warned him that maybe he shouldn't have asked for that, but he heard the refrigerator door open, then he heard a glass being set down on the counter. After a pouring sound, the refrigerator was slammed shut. His Master's footsteps found their way to the back of the couch, and Haku turned to see his Master holding a glass of milk.

He took it, and, before he could ask, Zabuza said, "Just in case the food is too hot. Water will just make it worse."

Haku nodded, and said, "Thank you, Master." Zabuza left him once again for the solitude of the dining room table, leaving Haku to tackle the challenge of whatever it was that his Master had cooked for him.

He only remembered Naruto when his Master took the plate from him. He felt guilty as his heart fluttered when he saw his Master's uncovered face again.

_I'm acting just like the kind of easily-taken-advantage-of-slave that Naruto probably thinks that I am._

"I'm going to clean up here first," Zabuza said from the kitchen as he finished washing the dishes. "Take a bath and go to bed soon. We're going to train again tomorrow, or at least for as long as your body will permit."

Haku rose and said, "Yes, Master." He watched his Master for a moment, then left the living room.

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About an hour before, Naruto had sat down to dinner with Sasuke and Kakashi. He was still pissed off, and Sasuke had taken to ignoring him.

Kakashi looked over the restaurant menu. "It's like they have a different language here," he said in a bored voice.

"This is a stupid country," Naruto said. "They need to make it like the Fire Country."

"How's that?" Kakashi asked, still bored. Sasuke picked up a menu and began to peruse it.

"There shouldn't be any slavery, for one thing."

"Would you like it if Sakura was your slave, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, hiding his face behind a menu.

"WHAT? You sick old man!" Naruto shouted, his face red. "You've been reading too many perverted books!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke shushed him, glaring at him. "Keep it down! This is a public place!" He tried to hide behind his menu, just like his teacher.

Naruto stared at the floor. "Not every is sick and perverted like you, Master Kakashi," he said.

"But you imagined it, didn't you?" Kakashi said, lowering his menu to smirk at Naruto (although only his eyes were visible above his navy half-mask).

He blushed. "Well, it's hard not to imagine it…but PERVERTED stuff aside, no one should be enslaved."

"I think this country is a little backwards, too," Sasuke said under his breath as the waitress stopped at their table.

"Hi! What would you gentlemen like to drink?" she asked in a soft voice.

Kakashi's eyes scanned the menu for two seconds, then he put his menu down. "We're not from around here, so how about you just give us the most popular drinks and dishes from this place?"

The waitress was a little surprised, but she nodded. "You three…are from where?"

"Oh, just a little place in the middle of nowhere," Kakashi said. He smiled at the waitress, then took his students' menus away and handed them to the waitress. She walked away.

"You know she's going to give us the most expensive stuff," Sasuke said in a low voice.

His teacher shrugged. "I'll get Godaime to pay me back."

Naruto's eyes followed the waitress as she walked towards the kitchen. She stopped to talk to a burly man who was sitting by himself in a corner. The man glanced in Naruto's direction for a moment, and the waitress returned to the kitchen.

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Kakashi stared at his students' plates. Naruto, even in his unhappy state, had been able to put away the large steak he'd received and had even stolen some of his teacher's food. Sasuke pushed around his remaining fried tofu pieces with his spoon.

"Why did I get rabbit food?" he asked miserably.

"The waitress must have thought you looked like a vegetarian," Naruto said quickly.

Sasuke scowled. "What does that mean?"

To keep his students from getting into a "You look gay" and "You look stupid" kind of fight, which was frequent when Naruto and Sasuke were forced to spend time together in enclosed spaces, Kakashi said, "Well, I think it's time to go back. We don't want it to get dark before we go home."

Naruto remembered what he'd seen earlier, and said, "We should all go to the bathroom before we go," in a quiet voice.

Sasuke gave him a strange look. "That really sounds weird, somehow."

Kakashi, who had also caught the exchange, nodded. "Come on, Sasuke. Naruto had a good idea. Didn't your mom always tell you to go to the restroom before you left the house?"

Now Sasuke knew that something was happening. He nodded.

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Naruto stretched his arms as he left the restaurant. "Hey, Master Kakashi, that place was great!"

"Pipe down, you mother-fucking-goddamned dumbass," Sasuke said. He scowled heavily.

"I'm so boring. I'm so boring. I'm so boring, and I only have this book to read," Kakashi said as he read Come Come Paradise.

Sasuke said, "I wish something dangerous would happen. I'm so godawful fucking goddamned bored in this hellhole of a country."

"Well, we'll be out soon!" Naruto said cheerfully.

The burly man from before suddenly appeared behind Sasuke as he stepped over a water puddle, and he twisted one of Sasuke's wrists behind his head as he held a knife to his throat.

Sasuke said, "Look, I'm such a goddamned mother-fucking retard, that I got caught by this not-so-strong water-nin. What a girl I am."

The burly ninja gave Sasuke a strange look, and barked at Kakashi, "I have one of your students, foreign ninja. I know why you're here."

Kakashi looked surprised. "You have caught Sasuke," he said over the top of his book.

Naruto laughed. "Pissy-boy got caught!"

The ninja laughed, too. "Yes, I guess he did. Now, if you want your student back, just follow me."

Kakashi sighed. "If I follow you, you'll just lead me to an ambush. What to do…" He said in a bored voice. "Well, if you kill Sasuke, I'll still have Naruto, my all-time best student."

Naruto gasped. "I AM your all-time best student, Master Kakashi, but what about poor Sasuke? He'll die!"

"No matter."

The water-nin stared at both of them. "Don't…don't you care about this kid?"

Kakashi shrugged. "He's just an arrogant girly boy."

Naruto shook his head. "We MUST save Sasuke!" He gave Sasuke a thumbs-up, 'Good Guy' pose. "Don't worry, I'll save you, even if Master Kakashi won't because you suck!"

Sasuke began to cry. "Please save me, Naruto! I suck so bad, and I need super-strong Naruto to save me!"

The water-nin heard loud grunts and shouts behind him. The men he'd had waiting for the ambush were that way…what were they doing?

The grunts stopped, and he saw, with no small amount of surprise, that the very same foreign ninja he was holding a knife to was walking towards him from the ambush area.

"Naruto, drop that horrible clone technique," he said disdainfully. The blonde ninja smiled and said, "Dispell!"

The teacher and the hostage disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving the water-nin with his hands empty. Sasuke and Naruto stood on either side of him.

"Where are my men?" he shouted at Sasuke.

"Where you left them." Sasuke walked around the man to where Naruto was standing, and hit him on the head.

"What was that for!" Naruto shouted.

"Insulting me everytime you make one of your clones look like me."

The water-nin stared at the two fire-nin for a moment before laughing. "How foolish of you to waste your precious time here. I've already sent my fastest man to alert Gatou that three foreign ninja have come after him."

Naruto smirked. "Well, Master Kakashi went after him, so I don't think we need to worry."

"This the guy you were talking about?" Kakashi asked as he dropped down from a tree. A man was slung over his shoulder.

The water-nin stood frozen. "You…"

Kakashi dropped the incapacitated man and said, "Sasuke, do it neatly."

Sasuke nodded, and the last thing that the water ninja saw was a blur of navy and black against the red-stained sunset.

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Sakura painted her nails in front of the vanity of her new 'room'. The head of the ring had introduced her to a woman named 'Mist', who had shown Sakura the ropes, so to say.

She shuddered in disgust. The women had actually made her watch prostitutes in the act! Her only solace during those times had been imagining that the two people were Chouji and Ino…that had been pretty funny…

Sakura smiled as she began to blow on her nails to dry them. _I'm supposed to start work tomorrow. That means that there will be two days during which I'll have to 'get by' with prostitute work._

Luckily, Naruto had pulled Sakura to the side the night before to show her how to use the Shadow Clone Replication Technique. Naruto really could be protective, so much that it was sweet.

Sasuke had also pulled her to the side early that morning, and had told her that they could make Naruto prove his acting skills by transforming into a girl and taking Sakura's place. She had laughed a little, and joked that the technique would be dispelled at the moment of penetration….and then Sasuke's face had gone red and he'd said that he hadn't thought that far.

She smiled. Sasuke could be sweet and protective, too.

It was a little embarrassing that Haku knew that she would have to play a prostitute, but she didn't mind too much. Haku was such a nice guy, and she knew that he probably wouldn't make any jokes.

More moans from next door. Sakura felt sick for a second.

_Okay, Chouji and Ino, Chouji and Ino…_

She giggled. Now THAT was funny enough to get rid of her night-before jitters.

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	11. Chapter 11

Folded Hands, Chapter Eleven

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Over the course of the next two days, Zabuza worked Haku as hard as he could. Haku found himself looking forward to the blissful rest that came with eating, bathing, and sleeping.

_Will it always be like this?_ He wondered. _I'll probably get used to it in a while…but, still, isn't this a little much?_

He had started to get a feeling for fighting, though. His body had picked up speed, and he found that he could be rather inventive when he was cornered, exhausted, and in pain.

It was lunch time, the day before the mission. Zabuza had told him to make lunch for five that day, and he sat down at the table, looking over the mission documents.

_Five? Does that mean that Naruto is coming here?_

Surely enough, he heard a soft knocking on the door when he was almost finished with lunch. His Master answered the door, and he heard Kakashi's voice for a few seconds before his Master shut the door.

"We're going to eat outside," Zabuza said. Haku nodded. He knew that his Master did not want such strange ninja inside his house, or possibly anyone.

_I wonder how many people besides myself have been in this house while Zabuza stayed here,_ he thought. Perhaps lovers had stayed there as well?

Haku shook his head. _Master does not seem like the type to keep lovers. Maybe, he would go to a brothel…_

_No! I shouldn't think things like that! Of course he wouldn't need to pay for sex!_

Haku turned off the stove and began to move the food onto dishes. His Master entered the kitchen then, and said, "We'll be outside. Bring out the food whenever it's done."

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Naruto folded his arms and did not look at Zabuza as he joined the three foreign ninja who were waiting for him outside. He'd paid careful attention to the route they'd taken to Zabuza's house, and filed it away for future use.

His eyes passed over the house quickly. _So this is where Haku has to live? This place isn't nice at all! Not only that…he probably doesn't even have a bed! If he's Zabuza's slave, then he probably has things worse than Zabuza. Maybe he has to sleep on the floor, or maybe in Zabuza's bed…_

_Oh, hell no._

Naruto scowled at Zabuza now. _If anything seems wrong here, I'll do whatever is right. I can't believe this monster would force Haku to live like this. He's just a normal kid, really!_

Sasuke elbowed him. "Stop staring," his hissed as their teacher spoke with Zabuza.

"But Sasuke--"

"I know what you're thinking," his black-haired teammate said. "You'll make things hard for Haku, though."

Naruto heard the front door open, and he saw Haku walk outside, carrying a large dish. He stood up quickly, and ran towards Haku to take the dish from him.

Haku was surprised to see Naruto actually interact with him, but he smiled softly and said, "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," Naruto responded automatically. Haku's smile made his heart sink. "Do you need any help in there?" he asked, looking at the front door of Zabuza's house.

Haku shook his head. "I can do it on my own. Thank you for helping, though."

He turned away from Naruto, who stood rooted to the spot, staring dumbly as Haku left him. He looked at the large dish in his hands, which contained some sort of stew, and he turned to the others.

Carefully not looking at Zabuza, Naruto shouted, "Hey Sasuke! Get out Sakura's blanket!"

Sasuke waved him off and started to set up for a picnic.

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Sakura's Shadow Clone Replication Technique had gone smoothly. She had transformed into a tube of lipstick on the vanity counter, and was now watching her clone spin around as it admired itself in the mirror.

"How cute!" the clone said as it looked itself over. "This outfit is cute! I need to get one to show off to Sasuke!"

Sakura would have hit her forehead if she had been able to. It seemed that overly-truthful Shadow Clones were not limited to Uzumaki Naruto.

The clone giggled as it heard moans from next door. "It sure would be funny if that was Chouji and Ino!" it said happily.

_Way, way too truthful._

The clone looked around the room for a few minutes. Sakura began to get bored, so she dispelled her transformation and tapped her clone on the shoulder.

"Can I …talk to you?" she asked.

The clone blinked at her. "Huh…?"

Sakura groaned inside. Naruto could order his clones around, right?

"Listen up," Sakura said. Her clone stood at attention. "No matter what, if a guy comes in here, you take the lead. I'm going to transform into an earring so I can give you advice, but you have to be the one who does…the doing." Sakura blushed. She felt stupid for talking to a Shadow Clone about sex, or fake sex, or whatever this was called.

"If he is the one who…does the doing…then you'll poof out of existence."

"I don't want that!" her clone whined. "Then I won't get to see Sasuke!"

Sakure glared at her clone. "This isn't the time for that! There's no 'I' in clone! I need you to pull together for me!"

Her clone said, "Okay…"

There was a knock on the door. Sakura quickly touched her clone's earlobe and transformed into a pink earring.

"Who is it?" her clone asked cheerfully.

Mist entered the room. "How are you?" she asked in a tired voice.

"Okey-dokey!" Sakura answered, far too happily to be normal.

The older woman gave her a look. "The little kid thing, right? Yeah, I've heard that some guys like that kind of attitude." She sighed. "I don't think we'll get much business today, but if I guy wants to see a line-up I'll call for you."

Sakura sighed inwardly. She didn't really trust her clone with this job.

"Since you're new, you probably won't work much just yet," Mist continued. "But, remember, if a guy comes in here, make sure he's signed in first, then relax. The key to this is to have fun."

Her clone nodded, and clapped its hands. "I like to have fun! Especially if it's a little violent!"

_Way, way too truthful._

Mist stared at the clone for a second, and said, "Well, some guys like that too…"

The clone beamed back at her. More moans came from next door, and her clone giggled. "It would be funny if that was Chouji and Ino," it said aloud.

"Huh?" Mist gave her another look. "Butterfly, and…pig?"

_Way, way too truthful._

She would never, ever, resort to this again.

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Haku finally sat down with his Master and the foreign ninja after he had brought out all of the food. Zabuza and Kakashi had begun to eat (and they had both uncovered their faces, as was expected), and Sasuke poked at his food. Naruto kept his hands folded over his knees, and had not touched anything. It was obvious that he was waiting for Haku, out of respect.

Haku smiled as he sat down. He caught Naruto's eyes, and Naruto tried to smile back.

Kakashi cleared his throat, and Haku and Naruto turned to him.

"Tomorrow," he began. Haku glanced at Zabuza, then nodded, not sure if he was being asked or being told what would happen 'tomorrow.'

"Tomorrow, I will leave at four in the morning to meet Zabuza. Sasuke will leave at seven, and Naruto," he said, turning to the scarred young man, "you and Haku will meet around seven thirty. Remember to bring supplies for Sakura, because she's unarmed right now."

Kakashi went on to pull out three square-shaped packages. "These are pictures of the VIP's," he said, handing one to Naruto, one to Sasuke, and one to Haku. "Don't kill them," he added, looking straight at Naruto.

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed. "Why are you telling me that? Of course I know not to kill VIP's!"

"Then don't get riled up," Kakashi said. Sasuke smirked but kept his mouth shut.

"Kill?" Haku asked.

"Yeah, don't kill them," the silver-haired teacher said in a bored voice. "You're free to kill the other ninja working for Gatou, or any other guards."

Haku kept his mouth open for a moment, ready to ask another questions, but he shut his mouth quickly and looked down. _That's right. This is a mission. It makes sense that I'll have to kill someone. It's really not surprising._

He still felt a little uneasy, though.

Kakashi cleared his throat again, and said, "Naruto will be with you, so don't worry about that."

Haku held up his hands. "No, it's okay. Nothing to be worried about." He smiled.

Zabuza gave him an odd look, and said, "Don't let him take all the kills, though. This will be a good opportunity for you to train."

"Yes, Master," he said softly.

…_oh, shit._

Haku lowered his eyes quickly. Naruto had stopped eating, and Sasuke glanced at him for a moment, then continued to eat, trying to act as if nothing strange had happened. Kakashi showed no reaction.

He wasn't sure of why he suddenly felt so uncomfortable. The others had known that he was a slave, so what would change when he acknowledged it by calling his Master by his rightful title?

Was it because it had finally been acknowledged?

He glanced at his Master for a moment, afraid that he had made a mistake, but Zabuza's attention was on Kakashi. "You think that girl got knocked up yet?"

"HEY!" Naruto shouted, standing up to glower at Zabuza. "Don't talk about Sakura like that!"

Naruto's reaction was a little more angry than Haku would have liked. He knew that the blonde ninja was probably also venting anger from Haku's enslavement, so he immediately said, "Don't worry, Naruto. I'm sure that Sakura would take care of herself somehow in a situation like that."

Naruto looked down at Haku. "You sure she would?"

Haku was a caught off-guard by the question.

_Are you sure you would, Haku?_

He smiled back at Naruto. "Of course."

Sasuke tugged on Naruto's pant leg. "Sit down," he said.

Naruto gave the ever-passive Zabuza one last glare, then sat down in a huff. He started to sulk again.

Zabuza laughed at him. "I see that one hit a little hard, huh?"

Naruto scowled. "None of your business."

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The foreigners left a little while after that, and Zabuza helped Haku to bring the dishes into the house. Haku began to clean immediately.

_So diligent, _Zabuza thought. He hadn't replaced the bandages on his face just yet.

After he'd locked the front door, he said, "We won't train for the rest of today. Get plenty of rest, and go to bed soon." His Master started to look through the fridge.

"Is there something you're looking for in particular, Master?" he asked.

Zabuza smiled, though Haku missed it. He had to admit that the title sounded nice when it came from Haku's mouth. He was proud to be the owner of a slave who had so much potential, as proud as Kakashi must have been of his students. "Just a snack. I don't expect you to cook tonight."

Haku smiled guiltily. "I'm sorry, but I didn't buy any snack food."

His Master closed the refrigerator, and said, "Well, then make a little something. Don't spend too much time or anything, and bring it to my room when you're done." That said, he left the kitchen.

Haku returned to washing the dishes, and frowned. Had he driven his Master back to the solitude of his room again? He sighed, and began to work on his Master's dinner.

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He knocked on the door a short while later, and his Master said, "Come in."

Haku cautiously opened the door to see Zabuza sitting on his bed. He handed him the plate of food he'd brought, and smiled when he saw that his Master's face was still uncovered.

He realized that he'd been staring when Zabuza asked, "Do you need something or do you have a question?"

Haku quickly said, "No, Master." He almost left, and then he thought of something.

"Actually, can I ask you a question?"

Zabuza set the plate on the small table next to his bed, and said, "You can try."

Haku took that as a 'yes', and said, "I called you 'Master' in front of the foreigners today." He suddenly felt incredibly nervous. "I was wondering if that was okay with you."

Zabuza looked at him as if he was insane. "Why wouldn't it be? You're my slave."

That had never been said before, not outright, and it hit Haku as hard as his embarrassment from his slip earlier that day. He smiled, though, and said, "Of course it would be alright, Master. I apologize for troubling you with such a question."

"Don't worry about it," Zabuza said.

Haku was not satisfied, though.

"May I please ask you one more question?"

"Shoot," Zabuza said, not bothering to look at Haku.

"Do I make you proud?"

Zabuza returned his attention to Haku. He stood, waiting patiently, for the answer to his question.

_So he thinks about things like that?_

"You shouldn't need to ask me that." Zabuza said heavily. Haku nodded. "O-of course not," he said softly. He took a step back, preparing to leave the room. "I promise to work harder, so that I can please you one day, and make you proud, Master," he said softly, bowing slightly.

Zabuza snorted. "I meant that that shouldn't matter. Just give your all for me, and submit to my will completely." He paused, then said, "Don't come to me for validation. Live to be proud of yourself. I don't care about how your relationship with your previous masters was. I need something different from you now."

Haku stared at him for a moment, then said, "Yes, master."

"Haku."

"Yes, Master?"

Haku stared at Zabuza's face again. He couldn't silence the thoughts that ran through his head, telling him that Zabuza was attractive, he was caring…in some ways…and he had let him into his bedroom.

He remembered what his old master had told him. _Don't play dumb. When you figure out that I want something from you, give it to me. And figure it out fast, or I'll just take what I want._

He was supposed to use his head in situations like this. Think ahead, figure his Master out, and address his needs.

And, those bandages were nowhere in sight.

He stepped towards his Master.

"Haku, I don't think that you really understand."

Haku smiled. "I'm sorry that I'm so slow sometimes," he said softly.

Zabuza glared at him, only enhancing the strength of his facial features. Haku's smiled grew a little. "Don't just fucking smile at me to try to cover up what you're thinking," he said angrily.

"I promise I'm not," he said as he quickly lowered his face to his Master's.

The contact lasted for only a second before Zabuza's hand met his face in a sharp slap. He drew back quickly holding his stinging cheek, and the kiss was over.

Haku kept his eyes averted. He had misread his Master, and now he would have to pay for his stupidty.

"What are you thinking?" his Master asked. He had barely raised his voice, but that alone was enough to terrify Haku.

"I…"

"What would make you think that that would be the correct thing to do in this situation?" Zabuza asked angrily. Haku's face reddened, and tears began to gather in his eyes.

Zabuza grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him. "Don't try to pull that shit again," he said gruffly.

"Yes, Master," Haku answered, barely a whisper. His Master released him, and he began to leave.

He turned at the last moment, thought, and bowed low. "I sincerely apologize for what I did, Master," he said. "Please believe me. I will never do that again."

"I know," Zabuza said. "Go to bed already."

Haku shut his Master's door, fighting back the tears that were threatening to come to the surface.

_Too much has happened, that would lead me to believe that that was the right thing to do._

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	12. Chapter 12

Folded Hands, Chapter Twelve

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

IceNight009—

Haku kissed Zabuza.

All--

Thanks for all of your reviews, as usual!

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Haku awoke to the sound of pounding on the door of his Master's house. The first thing that came to his mind was that the mission was today. Had he slept in? A glance out the window told him that dawn had not yet come.

The person at the door knocked again. Haku reluctantly pulled himself away from the couch. He realized that the person at the door was probably one of the foreign ninja, but…

He froze in his steps. _It might be an assassin._

The knocking grew louder.

Haku took a deep breath, and then walked toward the door. The knocking stopped abruptly.

"He…hello?" he asked nervously.

"Haku?"

He let out the breath he'd been holding. It was Naruto who had answered him. "Naruto, what are you doing here?" he whispered through the door.

The scarred ninja was silent for a moment, and then he said, "I need to talk to you before the mission."

_Talk to me? About what?_

"Wait until my Master leaves," Haku replied softly. He rested his forehead against the cool door, his face burning as the memories from last night returned. _I don't want to upset him any further, and leaving before I'm supposed to leave would certainly do that._

Naruto growled. "It's important, okay? Let me ask him if you can come out early."

"I don't think he'd like that," Haku said sadly.

"Why not?"

"Please…I don't want to anger or bother him."

"Why would that bother him?" Naruto paused briefly. "Hell, I left before I was supposed to today, and I don't think Master Kakashi even noticed."

"It's different for me."

"Well, can't I ask him?"

Haku was growing irritated. "No, please just come back later. Let's not bother him." He had actually fallen asleep hoping that he would not have to face his Master that morning. He wanted the older man to have a chance to cool off, after what Haku had done the night before.

"It'll only take a second."

"NO."

Naruto huffed. "Fine. If that's the way you're going to be…"

Haku held his breath. The foreign ninja had fallen silent. _Now I've made an enemy out of Naruto, too? I have to choose between them, and Master is of much more importance than Naruto. He must understand that._

The knocking returned, startling Haku and making him jump. Naruto was really pounding down the door this time.

Haku panicked. "Naruto, stop, please--"

"Hey! NO EYEBROWS!" Naruto shouted as he knocked, "Wake up! Time to get out of bed!"

"Naruto, shut up!" Haku hissed. Did Naruto want him to be killed?

Too suddenly for Haku, the door to Zabuza's room was thrown open, and his Master stormed out, fully dressed, bandages in place. He stared at the man for a second, and Zabuza sent him a sideways glare before opening the front door to see a pissed-off Naruto.

"Did you come here because you wanted to die, kid?" Zabuza growled at Naruto. Haku wanted to say something, to apologize for Naruto, but no words came to him.

Naruto glared at the older, taller, stronger water-nin. "Hey, let me borrow Haku for a while."

"Borrow?" A hint of amusement arose in Zabuza's voice. He glanced at Haku, who looked away from him as quickly as Zabuza's black eyes found his face.

Zabuza turned back to look at Naruto, his expression now bored. "If it's for the mission, sure. Just don't be late."

Haku's surprise showed clearly on his face. "Master?" he asked softly.

His Master, in turn, glared at him. "Did you hear what I said? Get dressed and go."

"Yes, Master," Haku said nervously. He left the living room to change.

Haku's hands shook as he dressed for the mission. _Oh, he's still mad. He's definitely angry with me. And I can't believe that Naruto woke him like that! My poor Master…I assaulted him last night, and now Naruto is bothering him, but it's because of me, so it's still my fault…_

Zabuza waited at the front door. Naruto was glaring daggers at him, which pissed him of to no small extent. _What the fuck is this kid's problem? He shouldn't be so nosy and obnoxious._

He heard Haku open the bathroom door, and Naruto tried to look around him to see Haku.

"Hey, kid," Zabuza said. Naruto looked at him, a little surprised. "What?"

"Before you go…"

Upon arriving at the front door, Haku saw Naruto lying at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the front door of the house, his nose bloody. His Master walked past him, rubbing a bloody fist.

"Have a safe trip." Was all that his Master said before shutting the front door behind him.

Haku stared at the front door, then at Naruto, who was gingerly touching his nose. Naruto grinned at him cockily.

"You shouldn't have woken him," Haku said as he walked down the stairs. He helped Naruto to stand, then smiled and said, "I'm sorry. I made him angry last night and it seems like he decided to take it out on you."

"Tch." Naruto glared at Zabuza's house. "What kind of creep could get angry at you, Haku? It's not like YOU would ever do anything bad." He focused his attention on the slave. "You shouldn't take the blame. I bet that it was something else that pissed him off. Like me, for instance."

Haku shook his head, and turned his face away. "I…did something last night."

Naruto snorted. "What could you have done?" Blood had begun to pour out of his nose, and Naruto started to pat down his robes, looking for some cloth to use to stop the outpour.

"It's not worth hearing."

The scarred ninja stared at him for a moment, then decided that it might be better not to pursue the subject.

Haku smiled at him again, and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about, Naruto?"

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Haku's eyes wandered over the lake at which he had trained with his Master and the foreigners. He didn't know why Naruto had brought him there, but he suspected that it had something to do with last-minute tips for the mission.

Naruto stood facing away from Haku. He'd folded his arms behind his head, and he was gazing over the surface of the water, completely silent. Haku realized that Naruto had been rather quiet that morning, and he wondered if it had something to do with his Master. He was probably still upset from the damage that Zabuza had caused him that morning.

"Haku," the blonde young man said suddenly, in a rather soft voice. He turned to look at Haku, then continued.

"Have you ever killed someone before?"

The water-nin was taken aback by the question, but he didn't let it show. He simply smiled at Naruto and answered, "Yes. Not as many as a skilled ninja, perhaps."

Naruto nodded. He dropped his arms, then stretched for a moment before sitting down on one of the rocks by the water's edge, facing Haku this time.

"Whenever my team goes on a mission that involves killing, we all…prepare ourselves. Master Kakashi reads his perverted books, or sometimes goes somewhere and doesn't tell us where he's been. Sakura used to cry, sometimes, or she'd talk to her friend Ino, so that she could be…sorted out.

"Then, Sakura started her medical training, and I guess some stuff happened…now she doesn't have to do anything anymore. She's always ready to kill when it's mission time."

Haku nodded, trying to imagine Sakura as a cold-blooded killer. The image was hard to pin down.

"Sasuke always goes to a temple to pray. He found a temple in the village and he's there, right now, praying for our team, and asking that he men we kill will be judged fairly and may go to a pleasant afterworld."

This one was easier to imagine.

"And, well," Naruto continued, "I've never been the type to pray. I'm not even sure if I believe in God. I don't have close friends outside my team, like Sakura." He started to play with the folds on his pants, trying to straighten them out against his legs. Haku continued to listen politely.

"I do meditate, though, almost every day, but it's for a different reason. So when it's time for a mission, I just try to do whatever feels right, to prepare myself." He looked up at Haku now, who had been watching him.

"I wanted to make sure that you could prepare yourself for this. I didn't just want Zabuza to throw you into this mission, like it seems like he was planning to do."

Haku smiled. "It's okay. I don't really need to prepare myself."

Naruto shook his head. "Everyone prepares themselves; it's just that they do it in different ways. You can't be yourself when you kill. You have to set aside a part of yourself that's just for missions, or else it affects you." He hung his head. "It affected Sakura, you know. She's grown up since we first met, but…she's not quite the same anymore. Too strong."

He paused for a few minutes, and Haku thought about what he'd said.

The first time that Haku had killed, he hadn't been prepared for it at all.

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Haku's mother smiled at him as she hung up their family's laundry. "Haku, honey, don't fall into the water!" she said softly as Haku played with snow near the laundry line.

"What water?" he asked. He was six years old then, the son of poor farmers in the Water Country.

His mother took a break from hanging up the laundry so that she could speak with her son. She knelt by him, and pointed to the ice covering the ground nearby.

"Do you see this ice?" she asked. He nodded. "You can't see it now, but there is about a foot of water frozen under this ice. If you step on the ice, it will break and you'll get soaked."

Haku stared at the ice. "Really?"

His mother pat him on the head. "Neat, isn't it?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "The water's hiding!"

She smiled at him. Haku was such a cute child, so loving and warm and gentle. He would grow up to be a great farmer, just like his father; a family man. That was her dream for her son, at least.

When his mother had returned to the laundry, Haku decided to test this theory of the ice. The mystery was too great to be left alone! How could water hide under ice like that? As soon as his mother turned around, Haku pressed his hand against the ice. The cold surface began to crack under his touch, and then…it broke!

Haku stared in amazement as the ice fell away, and liquid water began visible. He glanced at his mother over his shoulder, then dipped his hand in the water.

"Cold!" he shouted suddenly. He pulled his hand out of the water.

His mother knelt down at his side immediately, and said, "Haku, be careful. I don't want you to get frostbite." She reached for his hands to dry them with her apron, and froze.

Haku's hand was covered in water, yes, but there was also water in the air, forming a neat sphere. She stared at his hands, then continued to stare in horror as Haku realized what he had done.

"Look, mom!" he shouted happily. He made the sphere move between his hands, and stretched it out.

His mother grabbed his wrists then, pulling them apart. The sphere of water fell onto the ice, and Haku stared at his mother. There was a distinct look of sadness on her face, and Haku asked, "Mom?"

She let go of one of his wrists and slapped him. He started to cry immediately, but didn't complain.

"I'm sorry, mom!" he said. He looked at his mother's face again, and there were tears in her eyes, as well.

"Haku," she said in a firm voice. "Don't EVER do anything like that again." She grabbed his shoulder firmly, and held him in place. "Don't EVER do that again. Don't tell your father, please…" she started to sob as she pulled Haku into a hug.

Haku sobbed with her. "I'm sorry, mom, I didn't want to make you mad…please forgive me, mother…."

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Haku's mother had sent him to his bedroom when they reentered their small, warm house. She told him not to leave for any reason.

He jumped when he heard his father slam the front door.

"You BITCH!" he shouted. "You…you monster…you lied to me!"

His mother had begun to sob again. "Please understand, I didn't think that it would be passed on to Haku--"

He heard the sounds of flesh on flesh as his father hit his mother. "I knew that you were lying when you said that you were from the next village over! You're one of THEM!"

More slapping. "Darling, please…."

"Because of you, another one of those monsters has been brought into the world!"

_Monster? Daddy thinks I'm a monster?_

_Why?_

Haku ran to the door of his room, but he remembered what his mother had said about opening the door. He listened, afraid of what he was going to hear.

"I can't have that boy here, and I can't have you here!"

"You can't just send us away!"

His father shouted, "You two aren't going anywhere!"

His mother screamed, and Haku froze. There were pained noises…then wet noises…then just the sound of his father panting, and walking to Haku's door.

Instinct took over. Haku ran to the window of his room, opened it, and jumped out into the snow.

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The local police found his mother's dead body not one hour later. His father had been found in a crazed state in town, shouting about 'the clan' and carrying an axe. The police found Haku late that night, when he tried to sneak back into his house to find his mother's blood all over their kitchen.

He'd been turned over to the town orphanage immediately, and the orphanage director had said 'poor, poor thing' when she'd first met Haku. He was a skinny six-year-old boy with a dead mother and a murderer for a father.

He would later learn that his father had been hung two days after the murder.

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Haku's life at the orphanage was less than spectacular. For the first two years, he'd stayed with all the other little kids under the watchful eye of the director's daughter.

When he turned eight, though, he was expected to work at the orphanage farm.

The orphanage was not supported by the local temple or by any philanthropists. The children who lived there were expected to earn their keep by working on the large farm at the center of the orphanage. The land was tough, and the older children had to work it from sunlight to sunset to ensure their place there.

It had become obvious to the other older children that Haku's body was not suited to farm work. He was still skinny at the age of eight, and his long hair made him look like a weak girl. A few of the older children made fun of him, or gave him a hard time because of the weakness of his body. A few were kind to him, though, and helped him to complete his tasks.

The orphanage director had seen this, though, and was not pleased.

Haku continued that life for five years. His body did not grow stronger, but his tasks became more difficult as he grew older, and he often fainted on hot or cold days. He constantly received help from the older children, though some of those who had helped him when he was younger had become annoyed by his persisting weakness.

He never once played with water while at the orphanage, though, so he thought he was safe.

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The director pulled him to the side one day.

"Haku," she said. Haku stood facing her, his hands at his sides.

"Yes, Miss Shizuka?" he asked politely.

She cleared her throat, and folded her arms. "It's expected that every child at this orphanage pull their weight if they want to keep their place here." She gave him a level look. "You haven't been doing that, Haku. You constantly seek help from others, and you're draining the orphanage of hard-earned money by always falling ill."

Haku nodded nervously. "I-I'm sorry, Miss Shizuka."

She shook her head. "You're not making any improvement. I can't let you stay here anymore."

He stared at her in surprised, then took a step forward. "Please, Miss Shizuka, I'll work harder, I promise. You don't even have to have a doctor come when I get sick--"

She held up a hand. "No, you don't understand the depth of the problem, Haku." She waited until he took a step back. "I've already arranged for your new home. You couldn't pull your weight here, so we've decided to sell you as a slave to support the orphanage."

"As a…slave…" Tears began to well up in his eyes. "Please, no…"

She looked at him with disgust. "What kind of life did you expect? You're weak and damn near useless. Your father is a murderer. Kids like you don't get everything they like."

He stared at her, and said softly, "I'm sorry…"

The director scoffed. "Don't make me out to me the bad guy. I need to make sure that the others have a chance."

Haku nodded. "Of course you're not the bad guy!"

She looked away. _He's too soft._ "The slaver is waiting in the lobby. Dry your face and go."

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Haku's first time on the auction block had been surreal. He'd been brought out in front of dozens of men, and the auctioneer had read a description of him.

"Haku, age thirteen. No skills, has experience working on a farm."

_No skills. Of no value. Worthless._

Haku lowered his head as the bidders looked him over. He wished that he'd known that he needed to be of value before…he could have worked harder, rather than just trying to get by…he could have stayed…

He did not look at the men bidding on him. He was sold quickly for two thousand, and rushed off the block and away from the stage into the back waiting room.

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His first master had been a farmer, and he had quickly sold him when he learned that Haku was very weak and was prone to sickness. His second master was also a farmer, but he'd hired Haku to look after the house. After burglars hit his house, he'd sold Haku to recover some of the things he'd lost.

Haku's third master was a fairly wealthy man who owned a bath house in a village far from where Haku had been born. He'd bought Haku because of his ambiguous looks—it would be attractive for a feminine boy to work in a bath house serving men.

The work had not been difficult, and Haku had felt like he was making headway with this position. His job consisted of cleaning and serving, in general—bringing towels and robes, directing patrons to private rooms, serving alcohol, looking after patrons' needs, cleaning towels, cleaning the bath areas. He could sometimes relax, though he never dared to try the baths for himself.

He didn't know much about his Master; the man was in his forties and generally kept to himself. Their relationship was decent, though they never really spoke.

It was during this time that Haku's body began to change. Not only did he become stronger, and the illnesses became less frequent, but he also learned of sexual desire. He had heard patrons enjoying themselves at times with prostitutes, and he had peeked into a few rooms out of curiosity. He wasn't sure of where he could fit into something like that, but his body's urges told him that he had a place in it.

He began to dream, though his dreams were never clear. He would often awaken to find himself hot, sweaty, and aroused. He sometimes saw an old friend from the orphanage in his dreams—a boy who had been fifteen when Haku had first met him, and who had outgrown the orphanage and moved on. This embarrassed Haku, because he never saw two men together in the baths—just men and women. He reasoned that that must have been the norm, and hid his fantasies.

He also discovered masturbation at that time. Haku had never known such strong pleasure, and, at times when the patrons were drunken or angry, or when there was an overflow of business, he would promise himself that small bit of pleasure late that night if he could make it through the day.

His Master had caught him once, though. It was when Haku was preparing to bath for the night, and had decided to masturbate as usual. The door to his bathroom had opened suddenly, and he'd pulled a towel over himself in shame.

The air had been heavy with the smell of sex, and his Master knew immediately what Haku had been doing. He'd ripped the towel away from Haku body and admired him.

"I guess you're old enough now," he'd said, leering at his slave as he blushed and tried to cover himself.

The old man had pulled Haku's hands away from his body as he looked him over. "This IS what I bought you for, after all," he'd whispered into Haku's ear. "A pretty boy like you can keep some customers entertained…and myself as well."

Haku panicked and struggled. "I…I don't…"

His Master sneered. "You don't want to?"

"I don't understand…"

The man had pushed Haku against the cold wall of the bathroom. "Well, it's just you and me tonight, pretty Haku," he'd said. Haku stared at him, eyes wide in fear.

"You'll understand well enough by the end of tonight."

His Master had raped him the first time that night. Haku was fifteen years old.

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His time with his third Master continued like that for the next year and a half. He would do his normal job, but when it was late at night, or when a customer asked for him, or after all of the customers had left, Haku would find himself at the mercy of his Master or another man. It was almost always painful, but he grew used to it.

Haku's sexual desires had almost completely disappeared after eighteen months. There were a few times when younger or more attractive patrons would ask for him, and he would become aroused, but he usually hit his erection. He did not want his vulnerability to serve as someone's toy.

Then, one night, his Master had asked for him to come into one of the baths with him. He was secretly sad that he would not have the chance to spend time in the bath by himself. Haku never felt comfortable when he was naked with other people, because he knew that nudity lead to sex, and sex lead to pain and shame.

"Haku," his Master had said as Haku entered the room. He was waiting for him, clearly aroused and staring hungrily at his slave's body. Haku was still wearing the robe that served as the bath house uniform.

"Take that off. Don't keep me waiting."

Haku began to remove the robe, but his hands were shaking and his fingers slipped. Just then, he found that he could remain clothed for an extra second. The robe felt good on his skin, better than his Master's hands ever had.

His hands settled on the belt of his robe, and he stood like that for a moment, staring at the water.

"Haku," his Master said more firmly. "Take that off and join me. Don't be rude to your Master."

Haku untied the belt of his robe slowly, staring at the water.

_If I take my mind off it, it won't be as bad. I can just obey him, and wait for tomorrow when…when this will happen again._

_I need to keep my relationship with my Master pleasant._

_I won't get anything from it, though._

_I have no reason to live._

"Haku!"

His eyes flitted back to his Master, who was red in the face. "Join me, or I'll punish you."

"No."

"WHAT!"

Haku looked away. "No punishment or Hell could be worse than this," he said under his breath.

He had never spoken out against his Master before, and he was somewhat surprised by himself. Were these thoughts really buried inside him?

His Master stood, and said, "I will beat and rape you if you don't do as you're told."

Haku stared at him emotionlessly. "That just means you're threatening to hit me. You'll rape me if I do join you or if I don't join you, so that part won't have changed."

His Master huffed, and climbed out of the water. Haku panicked.

That puddle of water came back to him right then.

He was a monster.

Haku walked along the edge of the bath, not letting his Master come any closer to him. "You shouldn't threaten me," he said. "I'm a monster, and I can do horrible things."

"What crap is spewing out of your mouth now?"

Haku began to walk faster, and he was soon standing across from his Master, facing him on the opposite side of the bath.

His Master's face had reddened even more. "Haku, stop this damn game and come over here," the old mad had said.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," Haku had said.

"Very well then," his Master had said suddenly, settling back down into the bath. "I know where you sleep, anyway. You've pissed me off, so you can be sure I'll be visiting you tonight."

Haku's eyes widened.

"And don't even think of trying to run away. Everyone in this town knows that you're mine, so you won't get far."

His Master smirked, then laid back and closed his eyes.

Haku stared at him. He was trapped, in every way. If he fought back, he'd be punished. If he gave in, he'd still be hurt and violated. There was nowhere for him to go, and the only people who wanted him were the ones who could get something from him.

"I HATE you," he finally said.

"Oh?" His Master laughed. "Isn't that cute?"

"I hate you. You raped me. You're disgusting."

His Master laughed again. "I'm not disgusting. I'm not the one who lets old men put it up his ass."

"I thought I had to." Haku's hands clenched into fists. "I don't, though. That's why…"

His Master yawned. "Just shut up and get out of here." He closed his eyes.

The man didn't hear anything else from Haku, and he thought that his slave had left. He relaxed, enjoying his thoughts of possible punishments for Haku.

His Master opened his eyes suddenly when he felt water from the bath surge up in a wave, covering his body completely. He fought against the inexplicable wave to see Haku still standing at the edge of the bath, with his arms raised, and a look of intense concentration on his face.

Haku held the wave like that, moving it a little when his Master fought against it. He kept the old man trapped like that for what felt like forever, until his body stopped moving, and his eyes rolled back in his head, and his lips were blue and no more bubbles left from his nose or mouth.

He left the water and the body drop, and ran from the bath house.

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When the police found him, he felt like he was having déjà vu from the time that his father had killed his mother. This time, though, he was playing both his and his father's parts, hiding in an alley and finding himself surrounded by police. He was beaten into submission, then taken to the village's jail and held.

No trial was necessary. Haku was a slave, the fair-faced slave of a man known to many as a lover of pretty boys. It made sense that Haku would have cracked, and killed his Master in an attempt to escape from the hell that he had been sentenced to.

He had been held for a few weeks, and the law office decided to try to sell him before his execution, to pull in revenue. Haku had realized bitterly that his life would never change, that he was caught in this cycle. Of value to no one, pushed from one place to the next. People would always try to get what they could from him, and then get rid of him if he wasn't satisfactory.

He had never hoped for a Master like Zabuza. Now, though, he was grateful for the older man's presence. Even if he wasn't warm or kind…he was more human than his last Master. He wanted something else from Haku.

Rather, what Zabuza wanted was Haku himself.

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Haku tore himself away from his thoughts. Naruto was still sitting on the rock he'd found, and he was looking across the surface of the lake.

Naruto caught his eye, and he asked Haku, "Are you ready?"

Haku considered this for a moment, and said, "Yes. I put myself in your care." in a soft voice.

The blonde ninja smiled, just a little. "Don't be so formal-sounding! And besides, we still have some time. Did Zabuza give you any weapons?"

Haku shook his head, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"He's sending you to kill yourself! Let's go visit my place here real quick, and I'll set you up!" he shouted, jumping up and dusting his pants off.

Haku followed him to the hotel. Had this same situation occurred one year ago, he'd dread following Naruto to the hotel…he would have expected something unpleasant. Now, though….

He caught up to Naruto, and pulled at his arm. The blonde ninja looked at him in surprise. "What is it, Haku?"

Haku smiled, and pulled his hand back.

"Thank you, Naruto."

_I guess that he did help me to prepare for this. Killing is easy, if you know why you're doing it. If anyone tries to kill me, then I'll kill them. I want to live to see my Master again, and to experience those few pleasant moments of happiness, moments that have become more frequent since the time that these ninja have come into my life._

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Not too far away, Sasuke sat at a temple. He was nearly finished with his prayers, and he included one more for Haku.

Sakura finished dressing. She decided to put on a little more make-up, to make sure that the boys would be surprised when they saw her. There was nothing for her to do until the others broke into the base, anyway.

Kakashi and Zabuza had already met up, and were waiting for the right time to begin their part of the mission.

Zabuza couldn't help but think of Haku's kiss the night before. It had felt nice, really. It just made him worry about what it was that went on in his slave's head sometimes.

_Don't get yourself killed today._

He glanced at Kakashi, who nodded at him.

"It's time."

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	13. Chapter 13

Folded Hands, Chapter Thirteen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

I wasn't satisfied with leaving off at the last chapter, so…here ya go. Another double update.

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Haku and Naruto hid in trees near the southern side of Gatou's base. Naruto had changed into a dark gray and orange uniform, and he was carrying two weapons pouched (one on each thigh) so that he could deliver one to Sakura. He was also carrying a spare set of Fire Country-style shoes for the pink-haired medical ninja who was waiting for their signal.

The tension of the situation was beginning to get to Haku as he crouched on a branch a few feet from Naruto. He was wearing his usual training garb—the black pants, fishnet undershirt, navy robe, and heavy belt. The half-mask he'd worn on the first day with the foreigners was back on his face; he lived in this area, after all.

Naruto looked over at him, caught his eye, and gave him a thumbs-up. Haku nodded, and leapt from his branch right after Naruto leapt from his.

His fall took him ten feet forward, near a few guards at the southern entrance. Remembering his training and summoning his killing intent as best he could, he pulled a kunai from his weapons pouch (courtesy of Naruto), spun it around his middle finger, and slashed the closest guard. The slash was directed at his neck, but the man jumped back, suffering only a nick to his chin.

"Fuck!" Haku said under his breath.

The guard whistled, drawing attention to himself and to the inexperienced water-nin. Haku's heart began to pound, and adrenaline flooded his veins, as he saw more armed guards running from the base to join the man he'd attacked.

_Kill them!_

Haku took a breath, and charged at the man again. His wrist was caught immediately, and he struggled with the guard, accidentally dropping his kunai when the man backhanded him.

His vision spun, and the disorientation rendered Haku vulnerable. In his panic, he tried to kick the man.

As Naruto glanced at Haku, he saw something rather amazing. His new friend was being restrained by a guard one second, then…Naruto looked away for a moment so that he could kill another guard, quickly, the way that Kakashi wanted him to…and in the next second, the guard was lying on the ground, his jaw dislocated and his mouth bleeding badly. Haku lay nearby, holding his head and trying to stand up.

"Haku!" Naruto shouted. He looked around…there were about twenty guards already! "Shadow Replication Technique!" he shouted, and ten Naruto clones appeared.

"Kill 'em, boys!" Naruto growled at his clones. The guards began to back away from them, but soon every guard had been killed by a scarred, blonde ninja.

When he looked at Haku, he found that the young man was lying on the ground, covering his face with his arms. He ran to him instantly, and pulled his arms away.

"Haku…" Naruto's expression turned sour. This wasn't right, dammit! What had Zabuza been thinking when he'd sent Haku on this mission?

Haku looked around, and when he saw that all of the soldiers were dead, he said weakly, "I'm sorry, Naruto…"

Naruto was suddenly overcome by the urge to hug Haku. The water-nin was giving him his patented gentle smile, his eyes apologetic.

He shook the thought from his head. He knew of better ways to cheer Haku up. Motioning to the guard with the dislocated jaw, he said, "Looks like you just need to believe in yourself more."

Haku's eyes followed Naruto's finger as he pointed to the corpse, and he shuddered and looked away. "I did that?" he asked.

Naruto laughed a little. "I sure didn't. Not my style."

This didn't seem to sit well with Haku. "I was just struggling blindly."

Naruto stared at Haku for a moment. He hadn't sensed any other guards, though he knew that some of them may have just been hiding their chakra. He looked around then, to make sure that no one was approaching, before pulling Haku to his feet.

"Come on," Naruto said encouragingly. "I think we got most of 'em, but there will still be more in the base."

Haku nodded.

"I'll go in first, okay?" Naruto offered, talking to Haku as if they were two children sneaking into a haunted house.

"Alright," Haku said. He followed Naruto inside the base.

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Kakashi and Zabuza had long since invaded the base from its quiet north side. As they neared the VIP room, Zabuza paused, listening for any other sounds in the base.

There were screaming sounds on the floor below. As if he had sensed Zabuza's worry, Kakashi said, "It's probably Sasuke down there. I heard his battle screams a few times."

Zabuza shrugged as he turned to regard the door to what was PROBABLY the VIP room. "Thinks it's a trap?" he asked the fire-nin.

Kakashi shrugged in response before loading the door with exploding tags.

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Haku and Naruto encountered a few guards in the hallways leading to the brothel area. Each one was dealt with, quickly, quietly, and stealthily…by Naruto. Haku still felt ashamed for letting Naruto do all the work, but the blonde ninja actually seemed to enjoy his role as protector.

Said ninja chuckled as they entered the brothel area. "I wonder what Sakura's wearing," he said to Haku.

If he had been waiting for a response, he didn't let it on as Haku stared at him, blushing slightly. Instead, Naruto waltzed into the reception area. Haku followed him, lowering his mask to avoid suspicion.

It seemed as though this part of the base did not yet know about the attack. The woman working at the front smiled at Naruto and Haku politely, and said, "I'm sorry, but children aren't allowed here."

"Huh?" Naruto asked dumbly. He put his hands on his hips. "I'll have you know that I'm sixteen years old! Why, lady," he said, walking straight up to the desk and smiling, "that makes me older than you, huh?"

This was obvious flattery, as the woman was clearly at least thirty years of age. "You're such a sweet-talker, that I'll just let you go on in. Sign here, please," she said, passing him a piece of paper. Naruto looked it over while the receptionist turned to Haku.

"Young miss, were you looking for a job here?" she asked politely. Haku's face burned, and he replied in a soft voice, "No, I'm just here to watch. That's what this guy hired me for."

Naruto shot Haku a weird look, and handed the paper back to the woman. "How's this?" he asked.

The woman nearly screamed when she saw that the paper and Naruto's hand were covered in blood. She looked from one ninja to the next, and stood up and backed away from them.

The blonde ninja smiled. "Sorry about that, but I'm going to knock you out now," he said, jumping over the desk and making good on that promise.

Haku watched as Naruto looked around behind the desk. "Why are we stopping here?" he asked.

Naruto frowned as he tossed some things from a drawer to the floor. "Some of the girls here are slaves, or prisoners." He pulled out a drawer, and then another. "They're probably locked up, so I want to free them before we leave."

Haku was somewhat stunned by this naïve kindness. Naruto's determined face showed the pain that he felt, and he remembered what Sasuke had told him about Naruto.

"_Well…I just mean that he has a big heart. He thinks that everyone is his best friend. And he doesn't like to see his friends get hurt, or let themselves get hurt."_

"Naruto…" he said softly. Even if he had known about imprisoned girls or slaves, there was no way that Haku would have put his mission off to save them. He was a slave, after all. Not to mention the fact that he had a job to do for his Master, and his role in life now was to do Zabuza's bidding, not to think for himself.

The sound of metal hitting metal brought Haku from his thoughts, and he saw Naruto holding up a set of keys proudly. "Gotcha!"

They raced down the nearest hallway. "Don't kill any of the women here," Naruto said. "Just knock them out. They might be able to find better lives once they're away from Gatou."

So noble, and trusting, and naïve.

Naruto grinned at him then, and started to shout around the hallway, "Oh, Sakura!"

Haku stared at him like the dumbshit that he was, then decided to join him. "Miss Sakura!"

One of the door in the hallway opened then, and Sakura ran out, dressed in lingerie and heels. "What? Can't you be more like a ninja?"

Haku stopped in his tracks, then covered his eyes. Naruto, on the other hand, stared at Sakura for a moment, and grinned. "Lookin' good!"

Sakura covered herself with her arms as best she could as Naruto came closer. He gave her the weapons pouch from his left thigh as well as the pair of shoes he'd brought for her. Haku joined them, careful not to look at Sakura's body…he didn't want to make her mad at him.

The pink-haired ninja quickly put on the navy shoes and tied the pouch to her thigh. She looked at Naruto expectantly, before asking, "Clothes?"

Naruto blinked. "What clothes?"

Sakura stared at him. "Do you think that THIS is appropriate mission attire?" she asked, indicating her lingerie.

"I couldn't carry anything else!"

Haku took off his robe, and handed it to Sakura. "Please take this," he said softly with a smile.

Sakura smiled at him politely. "Thank you, Haku. I'm glad to see that Naruto hasn't let you die yet."

"Of course not, Sakura. He has been very kind to me," Haku replied, meeting her smile with his own.

Sakura threw on the robe, and Naruto was no longer distracted by her lingerie. "Okay," he said, taking charge. "I'm gonna go be a nice guy," he said, holding up the keys. "You two can go on, I'll meet up with you later."

"Be careful, Naruto," Sakura said. She tugged on Haku's arm, and began to run back down the hallway, leading Haku towards the center of the base.

As they ran, Haku noticed that Sakura looked a little excited about the mission. Unlike Naruto, she did not constantly look over him to make sure he was okay; rather, she looked ahead, waiting for enemies to appear.

A group of six guards met them when they were halfway to the VIP room. Sakura had heard the men a ways back and had prepared herself for battle. Using her chakra-amplified strength, she knocked the first guard down the hallway and kicked the next one's head into the wall.

Haku could only be fascinated for a moment, though, before he raised his mask again and drew a kunai. He was used to aiming for the throat, so he tried this method again. The guard nearest him dodged the attack, stepping back and letting Haku fall. As he tried to pick himself back up, Haku felt a boot in his stomach, then crumpled as he stared up at the guard who had kicked him.

Sakura made quick work of the other five guards, leaving the man who had kicked Haku. She turned to Haku, and asked, "You want me to kill him?"

The man looked around and saw that his companions were dead. He stared at the now passive, glaring Sakura, who met his gaze evenly. The guard started to shake as Haku picked himself up.

Haku leaned against the wall, and said, "Sorry, I don't really want to. You can kill him."

Sakura nodded, and she lunged for the guard.

_She also understands how weak I am._

The guard was faster than Sakura, though, and he ran past her and Haku, down toward the VIP room. "Crap!" Sakura shouted as she ran after him. She drew a senbon from her pouch, and threw it at the man, hitting him in the neck. The guard dropped to the ground, immobilized, and Sakura stepped over his body.

"Come on," she said to Haku. He stepped over the guard as well, who stared back at him with eyes that could see yet could not move.

They met another group of guards at the next hallway intersection. Haku was faced with a swordsman this time, a tall man with grey hair.

He nervously drew a kunai and the swordsman sneered. "What are you going to do with that?" he asked.

Haku swallowed, and attacked. The guard slashed at him, narrowly missing his torso, but he landed a kick to Haku's stomach that sent the water-nin crashing into the wall.

He forced himself to pushed his body off the wall as the swordsman lunged at him with his sword this time. Seeing that his sword was stuck in the wall, Haku grabbed one of the man's wrists and twisted it behind his back. The swordsman cursed, then pulled a hidden dagger out of his robe with his free hand and plunged it into Haku's side.

Haku slumped to the floor, blood spilling out of his wound. He fought the urge to scream as the swordsman pulled his sword out of the wall and advanced towards him. Haku quickly wrenched the dagger out of his wound and prepared to fight in his wounded state.

He lunged low, striking the man's thigh with the dagger, and moving behind him. Haku thought that it was odd that the swordsman slowed down so much when he attacked…maybe it was out of confusion?

The man recovered, though, and stared at the wound on his thigh. "What the…"

Haku attacked again as the swordsman looked around slowly. This time, he used all of his strength to bury the dagger in his back, severing his spinal cord. The swordsman fell and Haku looked around for any other guards.

The wound in his side was bleeding harder now, and Haku collapsed onto the floor. He saw that Sakura was also fighting a swordsman, and it seemed that she had somehow managed to bend his sword. She made quick work of him, and turned to Haku.

Her eyes widened as soon as she saw him. "Haku…" she said, dropping down to him and looking at his wound.

Haku felt his strength drain away with his blood. "What do I do?" he asked sadly. He had been afraid of this…afraid of injury, afraid of wasting time.

Sakura helped him to stand, and she moved him to a nearby room and shut the door. "I'm going to take care of that," she said tersely. Haku fell back down to the floor as she looked through her weapons pouch.

"No antiseptics or bandages…damn that Naruto!" she hissed quietly.

Haku swallowed. No antiseptics or bandages meant no treatment, and the blood flow hadn't lessened yet. "Am I going to die?" he asked softly.

"No." she said firmly, pulling two senbon from her weapons pouch. "Don't move," she said as she inserted the senbon into his neck.

Haku would have cried out, or moved, because of the sudden betrayal, but he found that he could do neither. Instead, he was frozen just as the guard in the hallway had been, and he could see and hear but not move, breathe, or talk. He started to cry when he realized that his heart had stopped beating.

Sakura knelt by him and said, "I've put you into a temporary death state to stop the blood loss," as if that could explain the needles sticking in his neck. Maybe it did…his brain was running slowly and his head had started to hurt.

She rolled him onto his good side and held her hands over the wound. If Haku could have looked at her hands, he would have seen that green chakra was pouring out of them and into his wound, closing it. They stayed frozen like that for minutes on end, Haku because he had no choice and Sakura because she was concentrating.

Haku heard guards in the hallway. Sakura did not even look in that direction. She was so absorbed in the healing jutsu that she could not waste her concentration on anything but Haku's wound.

He began to panic. A guard had stopped outside their door, and the doorknob was turning! Sakura suddenly stopped the jutsu and slumped over Haku, her chakra drained. She slowly reached for Haku's neck and pulled out the two senbon with a flick of her wrist. Haku's eyes widened in shock as his heart began to pound, and his lungs sucked in air.

The door to the room opened and Haku sat up. Two guards were standing there, staring at the odd scene. One drew his sword and lunged for the pair.

Haku quickly pulled Sakura to him and rolled over, finding himself on his feet with Sakura in his arms. The guard stared at him (though he didn't know why) and Haku decided to take advantage of that surprise by running past him and into the hallway.

He ran at full speed, and only looked back once. He saw that the guards were running somewhat slowly…why? Haku whipped his head back so that he was facing forward, and he failed to notice Sakura's stare as she lay limply in his arms.

As soon as they came to the next hallway intersection, he stopped running and ducked down one of the hallways. There were no guards here, thankfully, and screams from down the hall told him that there was a fight nearby…he thought he heard Sasuke for a moment. Haku set Sakura down onto the floor as he tried to catch his breath and figure out what he was supposed to do.

He glanced down the hallway, in the direction they'd come from. Where were the guards that had been chasing him?

"Haku," Sakura said, startling him out of his ponderings. He knelt by her.

"Yes, Miss Sakura?" he asked politely.

She looked at him warily, and asked, "Do you know what you just did?"

Haku was taken aback. "No. Did I hurt you while I was running?" He looked over the exhausted young woman. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sakura gave him one last look before answering the second question. "I'm just drained right now. Healing wounds with chakra alone takes a lot out of me. I should be fine in a few minutes, though," she added, smiling at Haku.

"Thank you for healing me," he answered. "And I'm sorry for getting injured so quickly. I would be dead if you hadn't been there to save me."

"It's okay," she said. Sakura suddenly sat up. "Someone is coming."

Haku drew his kunai again and waited for the guards that had been chasing him. He jumped into the hallway when they had almost arrived, kunai held in front of his torso.

"Whoah!" Naruto shouted as he almost ran into the outheld blade. He pushed Haku's forward arm up above his head, and his excess momentum made him turn Haku around so that their positions had changed.

Haku stared at him. "Naruto?" He glanced back down the hallway.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Are you looking for two guys? I met them on the way here, and boy, they weren't happy to see me." He smiled and looked around. "Where's Sakura?"

Haku grabbed him and pulled the foreign ninja into the hallway where Sakura was resting. Naruto immediately dropped to her side and touched her shoulder. "Sakura, what happened to you?"

Haku looked away guiltily as Sakura answered, "I had to use up a lot of chakra. Not everyone has a source like you, Naruto."

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's what people call 'only human'." He turned his attention to Haku. "You doing alright? No cuts or anything?"

Haku shook his head, trying to cover the tear in his fishnet shirt. "Sakura has taken good care of me."

Naruto nodded. "Sounds like our girl!" He said. "Come on, let's go."

Sakura glared at him. "I can't keep up with you two right now."

The blonde ninja turned around and pointed to his back. Sakura grumbled for a moment before allowing him to give her a piggy-back ride.

Naruto took the lead again, and said to Haku, "Tell me if I run too fast. I'm a little excited right now, and I'm not really watching myself!"

Haku nodded. "I'll do my best to keep up with you."

Sakura turned for a moment to look at Haku as Naruto started to run. _He shouldn't have any trouble keeping up. I've never seen anyone as fast as Haku before. It's almost as if he was amplifying his speed with chakra, but…even when I've done that before, I wasn't that fast! And he doesn't even know that he's doing it!_

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When they arrived at the VIP room, they found Sasuke sitting on a desk, keeping an eye on several men who had been tied up. One of the men was Gatou himself, struggling against his bonds. The room was littered with corpses and blood stains.

Haku hoped that none of the blood belonged to his Master.

"Sasuke, you lazy ass!" Naruto shouted at his teammate. He walked up to him and pointed at him accusingly. "Stop looking like Shikamaru and do something for a change!"

Sasuke gave him a bizarre look. "You're late, dumbass. Kakashi and Zabuza went to look for any survivors, and they told me to stand guard over the prisoners."

Naruto glowered at him. "We're not late! We were doing important things!"

Sasuke smirked. "Did playing hero have anything to do with that?"

"Hey!"

Sakura ignored her male teammates as she sat in front of the desk near Sasuke. "What happened to you?" he asked, having noticed her physical condition.

She didn't look at Haku as she replied, "I had to use a lot of chakra."

Sasuke laughed. "See, Naruto, since you weren't there, Sakura had to use a lot of chakra. I told you not to do dumbass things."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "It's not my fault! It was probably…something else."

Haku swallowed. It was his fault and he knew it.

Sasuke turned his attention to Haku. He noticed the tear on the side of Haku's fishnet shirt and was about to ask a question before he thought better of it.

_Sasuke put two and two together, _Haku thought. The blood on his pants didn't help either.

Naruto sat down in a nearby chair and asked, "How long are they gonna take?"

No one answered him.

"Hey, Haku," Sakura said, smiling politely as she caught his attention. "I was wondering what you were going to do to celebrate the success of the mission."

Haku was silent for a minute, then he said, "I didn't think about it. Is it normal to celebrate the success of missions?"

Naruto joined in. "At our temple, every three-man team has there own way of celebrating good missions. We're probably going to go out for ramen later."

Haku shrugged. "I'm only doing what's expected of me. I don't think that I'm going to be rewarded for doing that much." He smiled sadly. "If my Master knew how little I'd done today, I think that I would be punished, rather than rewarded for not getting in the way any more than I did."

Sasuke's eye had caught Zabua standing in the doorway while Haku was talking, but he waited to enter the room. Sakura seemed to have noticed as well, for she changed the topic suddenly.

"So, Naruto," she said, drawing attention away from Haku, "Did any of the girls you saved fall in love with you?"

The scarred young man blushed. "No…most of them asked 'who the hell are you' and stuff like that, so I kinda just left them with the keys…"

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Zabuza had left to contact Yamamoto, leaving Kakashi to hunt down any remaining guards. He'd found the drunken official rather quickly after jumping from a tree to perch on the windowsill of his office.

"Zabuza!" Yamamoto had shouted upon seeing him, covered in blood. "Looks like things went well?"

He nodded tersely. "Have your men come over right away. We don't want to hang around there any longer than we have to."

Yamamoto nodded, and called for one of his underlings. "Soryuu!" he shouted at a nearby man. "Have our boys head over to Gatou's!"

"Yes, sir!" the man said, saluting him before he left.

The official turned his attention back to Zabuza. "So, you got Gatou?"

The assassin nodded. "Not a scratch on him, either."

Yamamoto sighed with relief. "This is one of the happiest days of my life, you know," he confessed. "Having that monster and his henchmen put away…now I can concentrate on the other problems the town is having."

Zabuza grunted. "Whatever. You need anything else?"

He watched as the official pulled a wooden box out of his desk drawer. He opened the box, which Zabuza saw contained cigars, and handed one to Zabuza.

"Victory smoke?"

Zabuza looked at the disgusting thing. "Hell no," he said, handing it back.

"Oh, that's right. Guys like you need to keep their bodies in good shape, right?" Yamamoto had asked bitterly, lighting the cigar for himself. "Oh, for the better days…"

His attention flitted back to Zabuza. "Your team can leave as soon as my boys get there," he said, giving Zabuza the send-off he'd been waiting for.

Zabuza grunted and left.

As he headed back to Gatou's, he found his thoughs straying to Haku. He knew that there was a good chance that the slave was dead now. That possibility bothered him just as much as the kiss the previous night.

His eyes narrowed as he continued to run to Gatou's, jumping into a tree now and taking the quicker route. _Did he really want that? What would he have done if I had kissed him back? If I'd pulled him into bed? What that what he was after?_

He knew that, even if Haku had meant for the kiss to lead them in that direction, that the slave may have only been after his Master's approval. Zabuza thought that was sick, for Haku to use his own body to try to improve their relationship. Or, worse, to try to get something from him.

_What was he thinking?_

He arrived at the base shortly after and approached the VIP room when he heard Haku talking.

…is it normal to celebrate the success of missions?" his slave asked. Zabuza remembered the cigar he'd been offered. He hadn't thought of rewarding Haku just yet…it was still early for that. He was secretly glad that he knew his slave was still alive, though.

The noisy blonde kid spoke up. "At our temple, every three-man team has there own way of celebrating good missions. We're probably going to go out for ramen later."

_Ramen? What kind of a cheap-ass reward is that? Kids are really simple, I guess._

His slave answered now, his voice soft and sad. "I'm only doing what's expected of me. I don't think that I'm going to be rewarded for doing _that_ much."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed. He decided to not enter the room just yet. He'd been curious as to what was going through Haku's head for a while now, and this might be the way to learn.

"If my Master knew how little I'd done today, I think that I would be punished, rather than rewarded for not getting in the way any more than I did."

_Getting in the way? What did he do? I won't talk to him about it unless he tells me about it himself. I wonder what he could have done, though…well, if he'd been with me during the mission I probably would have just had him watch, anyway, and I would have given him a few kills for practice._

"So, Naruto," the girl ninja said now, "Did any of the girls you saved fall in love with you?"

…_what the fuck?_

The scarred young man blushed. "No…most of them asked 'who the hell are you' and stuff like that, so I kinda just left them with the keys…"

_Shut up, you dumbshit, and let Haku talk again._

Zabuza saw Kakashi coming down the hallway from the opposite direction with a man slung over his shoulder. "I caught Mr. Osai," he said conversationally. "He was quite fast, though."

He nodded back, acting as though he hadn't just been eavesdropping on Haku and the foreign kids. "That's good. I didn't know what we were going to tell Yamamoto when they found out he was missing."

The younger ninjas had fallen silent, and Kakashi and Zabuza entered the room now. Kakashi casually set the incapacitated Mr. Osai down near a few other men who had been tied up, and Zabuza walked straight up to Haku.

The slave backed away from him as he came close, then realized what he'd done and returned to his original place. Zabuza looked at him for a few seconds. Haku was clearly afraid of him.

_He might think that I'm still mad from last night._

Zabuza looked away to see Naruto glaring at him from his chair. He shrugged at the fire-nin and said, "Looks like you kids didn't let Haku die today."

Naruto stood up so quickly that his chair fell over. "Hey! Don't talk about him like that!"

Haku smiled at Naruto. "It's true, though. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you and Sakura." He turned his smile towards his Master, as if to admit that he didn't stand a chance and he knew it.

"I'm sorry, Master," he said softly.

Zabuza's eyes bore into him. Haku had nothing to apologize for today, so…

"I know," Zabuza replied.

Just then, a few police officers entered the room. One of them whistled after seeing the bodies scattered about the room.

Another (Soryuu, Zabuza realized) walked up to Zabuza and said, "We're taking our position here. You are free to leave."

Kakashi smiled at the man. "Thank you so much." He turned to his students, a bored expression now on his face. "Kiddoes, time to go."

Sasuke jumped off the desk and helped Sakura to her feet. Naruto gave Haku a look before joining with Sakura and Sasuke as they left the room. Kakashi followed his students, pulling out his current volume of Come Come Paradise.

One of the officers grabbed Naruto's arm on the way out. "You kids did all this?" he asked incredulously.

Naruto just rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, don't make it sound like such a big deal…"

Haku watched his Master for a moment, and Zabuza shot him a look before turning around and leaving. Haku followed him, head down, as he lead him into the hallway, in the opposite direction from Naruto's group. Then went down another turn and Zabuza stopped him suddenly.

The slave swallowed nervously. This was what he had been afraid of. His Master was angry and disappointed. He leaned against the wall as his Master turned to face him.

"Haku," he started.

Haku lowered his eyes and replied, "Yes, Master?"

Zabuza looked over his face. Why did Haku always act so pathetic around him? He'd told the slave that that was NOT what he wanted from him…not just submission or agreement or whatever his old masters had wanted. Haku was his student now, even if their relationship was different from the foreign brats and their teacher.

That attitude made him sick.

Haku's eyes widened in surprise when Zabuza slammed his palms into the wall on either side of Haku's head. His slave's black eyes met his own, and he stared Haku down.

"Cut the crap," he growled. "What's gotten into you?" He studied the silent, frightened Haku for a moment before continuing. "Is this about today, or about last night? And make this fast, I don't have all day."

Haku tried to work his mouth, but for a few seconds no sounds would come out. His Master's face was close to his, and he could smell sweat from the man's body. There was no escape right then. The strong arms on either side of his head didn't matter…the look his Master was giving him was enough to hold him in place.

"Both," he finally said. "I…screwed up…a lot."

"Look," Zabuza growled through the bandages on his face. "About last night, that's already been dealt with. I still don't know what possessed you to do that, and I don't think you really want to tell me," he added when Haku's face colored, "but you will tell me someday."

Haku blinked. His Master actually wanted to know why he'd kissed him? Wasn't the fact that he had kissed him worry enough? His Master was actually interested in hearing about the sick, perverted reasons that Haku thought had been so blindingly obvious?

_I thought you wanted to fuck me._

He started to shake, and his Master continued.

"About today, I knew you were going to screw up. I don't know what you did, but you're alive, and I don't have to catch shit from that other guy about one of his students dying to save you, so I really don't care if you screwed up because it didn't make a difference."

Haku nodded weakly. "I'm sorry for troubling you like this, Master."

His Master glared at him before slamming his palms back to the wall, harder this time, making Haku jump. "I can't stand that attitude of yours! I don't want to put up with you right now," he growled.

Haku's eyes snapped to his Master's face. "What…"

Zabuza sighed. "Go play with the other kids for a while, Haku. Come back home in a while and we'll have a talk."

He looked at Haku's face quickly. Haku had looked close to tears, but now he was staring at the wall over his Master's shoulder.

Zabuza lingered there, and Haku's mind began to play tricks on him. He had been cornered like that before.

_No! _The logical part of his brain screamed. _That was another man, another Master! You know that Zabuza isn't thinking of that. Don't insult him by assuming that he views this position like that!_

The thought would not leave his mind, though, and, to his horror…

Zabuza backed away and turned from his slave. "Just come back before midnight tonight," he said, leaving him there without another glance.

When his Master was gone, Haku slumped to the floor, completely aroused and hating himself for it.

The other voice was back.

_You wanted him to do something to you, didn't you? You hoped he was going to fuck you. You're so sad now, Haku. You can't get a talking-to anymore without getting hard, huh?_

He buried his face in his hands and waited for his arousal to go away. It had been so long since…

No, he couldn't do that here. Haku pulled himself to his feet and left the building. He'd just have to find the foreign ninjas and hope that his arousal would disappear, and not draw any attention to him in the mean time.

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Notes:

Hm…I hope that Haku can figure out where those damn fire-nin are!

Quick Quiz….

Are Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi at…

1.The Zoo

2.The mall

3.The…gift shop?

4.A strip club

5.A wedding

6.A bathhouse

7.The really, really obvious place?

Another Quick Quiz…

Naruto gets paired with….

1.Sasuke

2.Sakura

3.Itachi

4.Iruka

5.Hinata

6.Neji

7.Why are there more boys than girls on this list?...er, Ino

8.Your mom (he could so get her, and you'd have Naruto for a step-dad)

9.Kakashi

10.No one (ALONE!)

You can answers these in your reviews if you want to, but I won't post the answers in the next story. You'll just have to find out later! (Well, the answer to the first quiz is in the next chapter).


	14. Chapter 14

Folded Hands, Chapter Fourteen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

None, I guess. Though this kind of makes it a triple update, huh? Just couldn't stop myself.

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Naruto sat down next to Sakura at the local ramen shop. He'd been worried ever since they had left Gatou's base without Haku and Zabuza.

Sasuke, who was sitting next to Kakashi, had noticed Naruto's mood, and was hiding behind a menu. Sakura had noticed as well, but, since she wasn't antisocial like Sasuke, she had decided not to just try to ignore Naruto. Instead, she asked him, "What are you going to order?"

The blonde young man brooded for a moment before saying, "I'll just do what Master Kakashi did and ask for the most popular thing."

"Tch," Sasuke said from behind his menu. "You aren't familiar with the food here. They might give you something you can't eat."

Kakashi smiled at his black-haired student. "There's no food in this world that fits into that category," he joked.

Naruto laid his head on the table. What had happened to Haku, after all? It was eating him away. If Zabuza really was going to punish him…well it was that man's fault in the first place that Haku had been put in such a difficult place and told to do such difficult things!

He started to drift off there, his brow furrowed and his face hidden from his teammates.

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There was once a man called Yondaime, the fourth Hokage. His name had long since been forgotten; he'd been called Yondaime for so long that only his old student, Kakashi, knew his real name and he would never divulge that information.

Yondaime had been a great Hokage, but he'd had a cousin who disgraced his family name. His cousin had failed the chuunin exam and had been pushed out of the family for it, left to pursue life as a civilian. This would not have been so bad if his cousin hadn't been the lusty type, always chasing women.

One of his cousin's conquests had been a pretty blonde woman, really a girl, who was sixteen years old.

The Fourth Hokage was sometimes visited by his cousin when the man needed advice or money. He would often tell him to stop chasing women, or to at least leave the girl alone.

"Her family will disown her if she gets pregnant before she's married." he'd warned his cousin.

The other blonde man had laughed. "The thing is, she's got this condition, infertility I think, and she can't get pregnant! The perfect girl for me, I think."

Yondaime shook his head disapprovingly. "A girl like that should spend time with her friends, not being chased around by men in their thirties."

But his cousin never listened to him.

One day, his cousin stormed into his office, interrupting him while he looked over paperwork.

"Yes, Cousin Daiko?" Yondaime had asked him politely.

"She's PREGNANT!" the other blonde man had shouted. He paced around the office, drawing looks from men and women working for Yondaime, as he rambled on. "It turns out, she…she COULD get pregnant…" He kicked a nearby chair. "Fuck! She shouldn't have said that she couldn't get pregnant if she wasn't sure!"

The Hokage set his paperwork down and looked at his cousin. The man was clearly distressed.

"Cousin Daiko," he'd said after a few minutes. "Girls her age are very impressionable. Since this is the case, this is your fault."

"What?"

His cousin stared at him, then said, "Fuck," before falling into a chair.

Yondaime cleared his throat. "I have a proposal. You don't want to be the child's father, correct?"

The answer was a very obvious 'no'.

He continued. "To not disgrace the girl, I will hire her to work for me for the next few months. When her baby is born, she will return to her family, and no one will know a thing." He looked out the nearby window, putting together his plan. "In exchange for this, I want you to leave the village, and never try to contact the girl or the child ever again."

His cousin thought about that for a few minutes. "Sure. Anything else?"

Yondaime shook his head. "Send the girl here tomorrow."

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The girl, Arashi, sat down before the Hokage the next morning. "Thank you for seeing me," she said softly.

Yondaime smiled at her. "Would you like some tea?" he asked.

She looked flustered, but said, "Yes, please." The Hokage motioned for one of his assistants to bring tea.

He looked at Arashi again. "Has Daiko already told you of my plan?"

She nodded shyly.

"I'll arrange for you to live with me, under the pretense that you are my live-in maid. If you need excuses for avoiding your family in the late months of your pregnancy, I'll think of something."

His assistant brought the tea in then, and he watched as she added a large amount of sugar to her tea.

"When you've given birth, I'll have the child put into the care of the village orphanage," he said, finishing his plan.

Arashi took a sip of tea, and brought her eyes up to meet Yondaime's. Hesitantly, she asked, "Why are you helping me?"

He sighed and looked away. "Even if he has been disowned, I am still responsible for my cousin. I don't always stop him from doing foolish things, though, and therefore I am partly to blame."

She shook her head. "This isn't your fault! You're…" Tears started to gather in her eyes. "You're the greatest man in this village. I didn't even know that you were so kind…"

He couldn't stand to look at her. _I'm kind? I'm sending my cousin to another country, indirectly lying to this girl's family, and sending her soon-to-be born son to live without a family. This child will most likely lead a sad life with no opportunities._

_It's not kindness. All that I can do is move the pieces around to make them fit together as best they can._

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The child, a boy, was born with no complications. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, but most babies were born with blue eyes so this was not remarkable. His mother cried when she was asked what his name would be, and she said that she had no right to name him.

The Hokage had been present at his birth, and he answered the nurse who asked what his name would be.

"Name him Taro," he'd said softly. The boy was no one special; he would be the most common of the common, so the name was fitting.

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Taro grew up in the village orphanage. He had no friends, and when the Hokage spoke to the orphanage director about him, the man simply replied, "That boy is one of the saddest children we've seen here. He feels like he has no reason to live, and that no one acknowledges him."

Yondaime nodded. "That's mostly true, I suppose," was his answer.

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One of the legendary beasts, the Nine-Tailed Fox, attacked their village when little Taro was only six years old. The villagers had worked together with ninja from the temple to fight it off.

As Yondaime ran from his office towards the battle, having gone there temporarily to find one of his hidden scrolls, he stumbled across the orphanage. The fox had been through that part of town, that much was obvious; the orphanage and the nearby buildings lay in ruins.

He scowled, and started to run again, when a flash of yellow caught his eye. Surely enough, little Taro was walking out of the decimated orphanage, tears streaming down his face.

Yondaime was frozen. The boy was still alive…his kin, at that. When his blue eyes met Yondaime's, he asked, "Where's the monster?"

"Little Taro…" Yondaime said. The boy looked surprised, and sniffled as he asked, "You know my name?"

He took a few moments out from his demon-slaying to kneel by Taro. "Yes, Taro, I know you."

The boy looked at him in horror, and he began to sob. "If you knew me, why didn't you take care of me? No one knows that I'm here! I should just…"

Yondaime hugged him, patting the little boy on the back. "The monster is still out there," he said softly. He pulled Taro away from him and said, "Taro, if you can do something for me, then I'll let you live with me. I'll be your father, and I'll take care of you."

Taro stared at him. "What…what is it?" he asked, his expression full of hope.

Yondaime hated himself. The demon-sealing technique needed a container, and he didn't have one. He'd planned on asking one of the other ninja to do it, but he knew that children adapted the best. And, besides…

…_it's partially my fault that this boy was brought into the world. It might as well be my fault if he leaves it so soon._

"I need you to help me get rid of the monster," Yondaime said to Taro.

The boy widened his eyes. "How do I do that?" he asked fearfully.

Yondaime smiled. "I just need you to come with me, and wish as hard as you can that no one else gets hurt."

Taro smiled, and Yondaime hoisted him up so that he could carry him. He jumped onto a nearby rooftop, then began to run towards the ninetails again.

As he ran, Taro whispered into his ear,

"Will you really take care of me?"

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Naruto's eyes opened suddenly. The waitress had come by to take their order. Kakashi first ordered something very sparse-sounding, and the waitress turned to Sasuke.

"Would you like Our Vegetarian option?" she asked him. Naruto snickered at him. "I'd like some meat, please," the disdainful Sasuke said, glaring at Naruto.

_I'll bet you would…_Naruto thought. He knew that joke was too rude, at least for use on Sasuke (and that meant it was pretty darn rude) so he just smiled to himself.

"I'll have mine with eggs," Sakura said to the waitress, and she pointed to Naruto, who was not paying attention. "He'll have the house special."

Naruto smiled at Sakura when the waitress left. "Oh, it's so sweet that you'd order for me…"

She glared back at him. "It's only because you were zoned out…"

Naruto looked past Sakura for a moment, and he was surprised to see Haku standing outside the restaurant, looking inside. "Look," he said happily, "It's Haku!"

His teammates turned to look (Kakashi was reading Come Come Paradise again) and Sakura said, "Oh, I forgot to give him this!" and pulled at the robe she was wearing.

Naruto said, "Well, take it off and I'll give it to him."

She hit him and got out of the booth so that Naruto could get out.

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Haku jumped from roof to roof. The physical strain of this was more than he'd expected, and his arousal had gone away quickly. Thankfully, he'd remembered that Naruto had said something about a ramen shop, so he quickly headed for the largest one in town.

_If I suddenly show up, will they let me eat with them? And I don't have any money either…_

Haku's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten that day, and he grudgingly admitted to himself that he really, really wanted Naruto to treat him to ramen, and give him his usual cocky smile.

He bit his lip. _That would be nice, but I'd rather have Master take me out to eat. Even though Naruto is more pleasant, having that with Master…talking to him normally…that would be the greatest reward._

Haku slowed as he spotted the ramen shop. He found an alleyway and jumped down into it, brushed his clothes off, and headed for the ramen shop.

He saw his reflection in the glass of the shop's window (it was more like a restaurant) and he realized that he was a mess. There was still a large tear in his fishnet shirt, and there was blood on the right side of his pants. The pants were navy, so the blood just looked black or purple and therefore didn't look too much like blood. He also realized that, well, he was wearing a fishnet shirt with nothing over it and he looked less than modest.

_I forgot to get my robe back from Sakura!_ He thought. Well, if she was there, he would ask for it politely.

He was surprised to see Sasuke and Kakashi sitting at a booth opposite Sakura and Naruto. Naruto looked in his direction, and was soon let out of the booth by Sakura (but not before she hit him, for some reason). Haku stood in place, not sure of what to do, when Naruto ran out to meet him.

"Hi, Haku!" Naruto said. He looked Haku over and realized that he was still in bloody clothing. "Whatcha up to?"

Haku looked nervous, that was for sure. "I…I wanted to see if I could eat with you."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Sure! That'd be great!"

"I also don't have any money on me."

This made Naruto suspicious. "Zabuza sent you here without any money? What a sadist!" He put an arm around Haku's shoulders (which Haku thought was rather strange) and lead him inside. "Don't worry, your buddy Naruto will help you out! No need to pay me back!"

Haku lowered his eyes as he was lead to the table where the rest of the fire-nin were sitting. Kakashi caught Haku out of the corner of his eye, then put his book away. "Well, this table's only big enough for four and I have better things to do," he said in his usual bored drawl. Kakashi stood and motioned for Haku to sit next to Sasuke.

"I-I couldn't!" Haku said, holding up his hands. "Please, don't let me disturb you!"

"Nonsense!" Naruto said. "Sasuke hasn't had a date in a while anyway!"

Sasuke kicked him under the table, and Sakura hit his head before asking their teacher, "Where are you off to?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Nowhere special."

Naruto grinned at his teacher. "It doesn't have anything to do with the release of the next Come Come Paradise book, now does it?" he asked cockily.

Haku was once again amazed by their teacher-student interaction. He wondered how Naruto had developed this carefree relationship with his teacher.

Not one to be bothered by Naruto's joking, Kakashi just shrugged and said, "See ya, kiddoes," before leaving the restaurant. Haku nervously sat down next to Sasuke, who said, "Hi, Haku," before resting his head on the table.

Haku sighed. "Is it okay that I'm here?" he asked.

Naruto nodded fervently. "Of course! It's way better than having that perverted teacher here anyway!"

The waitress returned in time to hear Naruto's comment about his teacher. She ignored it or didn't care, and set the four bowls of ramen in front of each person at the table.

"Uh…" Sakura said as she stared at her bowl. There was a lot of meat in it. Sasuke's had eggs in it, Naruto's was plain, and Haku's…

Naruto's mouth watered as he looked at Haku's. "That's something I would order!" he whined.

The waitress didn't seem to notice that she'd mixed up their orders, and left them to sort it out. Sasuke and Sakura traded bowls, to Naruto's confusion, and Haku whispered, "I think that ours are mixed up, Naruto."

Naruto looked surprised for a moment, then clapped. "Yeah! I get the yummy bowl now!" he shouted, grabbing the bowl that was in front of Haku. Haku pulled Naruto's plain-looking ramen towards himself, and the trade was complete.

Sasuke laughed. "That waitress could NEVER be a ninja. You have to be able to catch the details."

Naruto averted his eyes. "Yeah, catching the details…"

Haku smiled. Poor Naruto.

Sakura now kicked Sasuke under the table (for being an ass) and said to Haku, "I'm sorry about not giving your robe back yet. Can I give it to you when we're away from polite society?"

Haku nodded. "It's alright; I forgot about it anyway."

_Catching the details indeed._

The voice had returned.

_Shut up, _he thought. _I just want to enjoy this little meal and go sort things out with my Master. I'll be stronger for him next time!_

_Yeah, right, _the voice said. _Like there will be a next time._

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Notes:

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Quick Quiz 3

Who is Sasuke paired with?

1.Sakura

2.Naruto

3.Itachi

4.Ino

5.Hinata

6.Temari

7.Your mom (when she dumps Naruto and decides that emo is in)

8.Kakashi

9.TenTen

10.Neji

11.no one (ALONE!)

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Quick Quiz 4

Who is Ino paired with?

1.Sasuke

2.Sakura

3.Naruto

4.Shikamaru

5.Chouji

6.Itachi

7.Your dad ('cause your mom dumped his ass for Sasuke)

8.Asuma

9.Gaara

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Also, about these quizzes…they're not polls AND THEY WILL NOT INFLUENCE THE STORY. THEY ARE PURELY FOR FUN. THE STORY IS SET.


	15. Chapter 15

Folded Hands, Chapter Fifteen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

…I just got a creepy call from a kid at a hotel. The kid said, "Hello, I just wanted to say thank you," then hung up.

Oh, and it's like four in the morning.

Did my number get mixed up with the hotline to hell?

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Zabuza bathed as soon as he got home. Afterwards, he dressed and started to look around his house for things to do.

There wasn't anything out of place there, though; since he had bought Haku, his house had been well taken care of.

He gave up trying to distract himself after a short while, and sat down on the couch that served as Haku's bed to wait for him to come home. Zabuza still did not know what he would tell the slave when he came back, but he was frustrated as all hell.

What was wrong with Haku anyway?

He'd kissed him, his Master, without provocation. And, to make things worse, he'd pulled away from him after last night. Before, they had been able to get along, but Haku was trying to keep some distance between them. He remembered the fear in Haku's eyes when he had seen him after the mission.

_Well, I guess that I can be pretty intimidating, _he thought, remembering the shock on Haku's face when he cornered him after the mission. Apart from the fear, Haku had almost looked…like he wanted that.

Zabuza shook his head, but he knew that that was a possibility. He was Haku's Master, and Haku might have wanted him to flex his muscles, and scare him, if only to show him how strong he was. Strong enough to discipline him, strong enough to protect him.

How fucked up.

_He's been a slave all his life. He's used to serving his Master, and running behind him whenever there's a threat, I'll bet._

But that didn't explain why he'd kissed him. Zabuza couldn't just chalk that up to tiredness. There had been some sort of misunderstanding, and he wanted to make sure that Haku understood their relationship.

_If he did want that kind of attention, he could have let me know a little differently. It's hard to deal with someone who's shy, polite, and obedient one minute, then trying to crawl into bed with you the next._

Had Haku really been looking for that? It WAS possible, Zabuza had to admit, but he didn't know why Haku would want to sleep with him. Did he have experience with that? Had one of his last Masters used him for sex? Did he like it, if they had? Did he miss it?

And, then again, there was the possibility that the slave had been after approval or that he had wanted something in exchange for sex. More freedom, maybe. Zabuza thought about that. Haku did seem smart enough to exploit certain…opportunities to get what he wanted. Zabuza was more of the straightforward type, and he didn't want Haku to play with him to get what he wanted.

He decided that, no matter Haku's reason for kissing him, that it was important to make sure that Haku's needs were met. He had to admit that this made him sound rather…kind…but it made sense that he would have to keep Haku in good condition if he planned on keeping him around as his apprentice OR his slave. If Haku's body was in bad condition, he'd take care of that. The same thing went for his slave's mind.

_What could he have been after, though? All of his basic needs are met already. Maybe he just wanted affection, and he thought that I might be more affection if we had sex. Or maybe he's more innocent than that, and he just wanted to kiss me, and be close to me._

_There's also the chance that he wanted sex, pure and simple. He's a teenager, so his hormones are already tugging him that way. Maybe he was curious, or maybe he was testing his limits. The boundaries of our relationship have been pretty ambiguous so far, so it would be healthy for him to push a little._

But sex? He wasn't sure if Haku understood it, even if he wanted it. He still didn't know much about the young man, much less if he was a virgin or if he was interested in men. Haku was certainly nice to look at; his face was attractive enough, and there was that long hair, but his body…

Zabuza shook his head as he sat alone in the living room. He hadn't seen Haku naked, but he knew that he was probably underdeveloped in certain ways that would have bothered Zabuza. He had no interest in having sex with a child. Granted, if Haku looked decent while he was naked, and if he did indeed think of sex as a reward then Zabuza was more than willing with reward him that way.

He found himself wondering what would have happened if he hadn't slapped Haku right away. Would he have kissed him again? Taken off his clothes? Joined him on the bed? It was somewhat nice to think about, but there was still the matter of Haku's body.

_Just another thing to talk to him about when he gets home._

And there was that attitude too. He'd told Haku to submit to his will, but he didn't want him to feel the need to submit to anyone else's. As far as he was concerned, Haku needed only one Master and should be treated by most people as equals. But the young man was still so polite and shy. It was painful to watch, really, and Haku seemed to honestly believe that he was far below the foreign ninja kids. Zabuza knew that he was inferior in skill, but it seemed that Haku thought his inferiority went much deeper.

_We may have to change something about that. I bought him and he's my slave, but I have to fix that attitude one way or another. He has to care about himself more._

He almost felt sick with himself because he liked to hear Haku call him 'Master' in his soft voice. He liked making Haku express more emotion than his usual soft smile, and he liked to disturb Haku's usual obedient way.

It was hard to reach Haku, and that was why he'd decided that it was time for a talk.

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Haku walked slowly back to the house. Not THEIR house, or THE house, he reminded himself; it was Zabuza's house, his Master's house, and his Master was probably waiting for him, ready to interrogate and punish him.

He wrapped his robe more tightly around his body as he shuddered. Sakura had given it back to him just before they parted, and, to his surprise, Naruto had hugged him after he put the robe on. That didn't quite sit well with him, in the way that Sasuke telling him that Naruto cared for him hadn't sat well with him, but he knew that Naruto saw him as a friend and that his own sick views on bodily contact were not shared with most people.

When the house came in sight, he stopped walking. What was waiting for him? Was he going to be beaten? He knew that his Master might have been watching him through one of the windows so he started to walk again.

The front door opened and he saw his Master then, confirming his suspicions that he had been watching for him. The man stood silently, waiting for Haku with his arms folded across his chest.

Haku soon reached the stairs leading up to the house, and he paused to bow to Zabuza. "Hello, Master," he said softly, keeping his eyes lowered even after he finished bowing.

Zabuza stared at him for a few minutes, not saying anything, and Haku eventually looked at his Master. He noticed the angry look on his face, and he looked away again, knowing that he was the cause of his Master's mood.

The front steps creaked as Zabuza walked toward his slave. Haku was careful not to flinch this time, and he stood perfectly still as Zabuza stopped at the bottom step of the stairs. He reached out a bandaged arm and touched the bottom of Haku's chin, making Haku snap his eyes towards his Master as he looked intently into his face.

"Haku," Zabuza finally said, breaking a small portion of the tension in the air. He could feel Haku's pulse, quick and erratic.

_Stop being so fucking scared._

Zabuza continued. "I don't like the way that things are between us."

"I'm sorry, Master," Haku said softly as he continued to focus on his Master's face. He could feel tears gathering in his eyes, but he fought them back.

"It's not something you can apologize for," Zabuza said in a low voice. Haku nodded in response.

"I don't think that there's a clear understanding between us." His Master drew back his hand now, but Haku fought to keep his eyes on his Master's face. "What do you want, Haku?"

Haku stared at his Master, not even sure of how to interpret the question. Had his last Master asked him the question, the answer would have been obvious, or at least the 'correct' answer would have been obvious: _for you to fuck me._

But this was his new Master. Zabuza. Haku wasn't sure of what the correct answer was, or even if there was a correct answer. This could have all been a test of his loyalty, and he didn't know up from down anymore when it came to Zabuza.

_Go with the most honest answer, _he thought.

"I want…to stay with you," he said finally. Knowing that that probably wasn't the kind of answer his Master was looking for, he elaborated. "I don't want to be pushed onto another Master. I want to stay with you, and please you. I don't want to disappoint you and I don't want you to go away."

He couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and his Master looked away from him to give him the chance to dry his face.

After this short moment, Zabuza turned back to Haku and asked, "Is that all?"

Haku nodded dumbly.

"Come in, then," his Master said, turning to enter the house. "And let me look at that wound on your side."

Haku's heart skipped a beat. His Master had noticed the wound! Well, there was no wound anymore, but his shirt was torn and his pants were covered in blood. He cursed inwardly and he followed his Master into the house.

Zabuza shut the door behind him, and locked it. He ordered Haku to sit on the couch as he walked towards him.

Haku waited for his Master's examination nervously. There wasn't much to see, so he hoped that this wouldn't take long. He also hoped that his Master wouldn't ask how his wound had healed so quickly. He didn't want to have to relay a story about Sakura saving his life and using up most of her chakra in the process.

"Take off your robe," his Master ordered. Haku obeyed quietly.

Zabuza knelt in front of him, studying the site of the wound. He used a kunai to cut the fishnet shirt Haku was wearing around the wound, and the roughness used in doing this brought Haku back to the state he'd been in when his Master had cornered him against a wall in Gatou's base earlier that day—aroused and ashamed.

He tried to take his mind off that while Zabuza examined his side. His Master noted silently that Haku's upper body was nicely developed, though not as much as a typical ninja's. He looked nice in just the fishnet shirt, and it provided evidence to the casual onlooker that he was, in fact, male.

He was surprised to see no blood around the wound…or rather, no wound. He stared at Haku's side for another minute, leaving Haku to deal with the consequences of his Master's proximity.

The nasty voice had come back into Haku's head. _You want him to fuck you now? To spread your legs and fuck you right here on the couch?_

Haku was ashamed to realize that those thoughts only aroused him more. He was afraid that the smell of arousal would soon reach his Master…would he be slapped again? Or would his Master just look at him, and that one look would tell him how much he disappointed the man?

_You want him to touch you now. You're sick, getting hard when he's just being kind enough to look at a wound that you don't have anymore. Do you want him to feel around some more, Haku? Do you want him to tell you to take off all of your clothing?_

His face burned and he fidgeted under his Master's hands. Zabuza looked at him then, concern showing in his hard black eyes.

"Did it hurt there? I don't see a wound, but there may be internal damage."

Haku was dazed. _No, it didn't hurt. And as for internal damage, I think that that's all in my head because I want you to…_

_No, I don't want you to fuck me. I've had that enough and I know what it's like. I want you to touch me, and I don't want it to hurt, but I can't ask you for that. I'd agree with you for beating me if I did._

"Haku, did it hurt?" His Master was irritated now. "Answer me."

Haku shook his head quickly. "It didn't hurt. I don't think I really got cut there, anyway…the knife must have just missed me, Master," he said softly.

Zabuza frowned. "Not with all of this blood on your pants," he said, touching Haku's thigh gently to indicate what was obviously a large amount of the young man's blood.

Haku instinctively covered his lower body further with the robe, an act which Zabuza interpreted as an attempt to hide the evidence of his wound. "Let go of this," he growled at his slave, pulling the robe from his hands and throwing it to the floor.

The pants that Haku was wearing were loose around his legs, but fitted well enough around his waste. The result of this was that his erection was blatantly obvious without the protection of the robe in his lap, and Haku sat in front of his Master, stunned as he was rendered completely, and utterly, vulnerable.

He covered his face with his hands. He knew better than to hide his body from his Master; he had done that before when his last Master had come after him, and it only excited the man, infuriated him, or both. Either way, Haku knew that he couldn't dare cover himself with his hands now. His shame was out in the open.

Zabuza stared at his slave as he tried to hide his face. Haku sobbed quietly, and Zabuza looked his body over before asking, "You were hard?"

Haku nodded weakly.

He suddenly felt his Master's strong hands on his thighs, massaging the muscles in his legs. He thought that his heart was going to stop.

"Haku," Zabuza said after a few seconds of this. The slave was too afraid to uncover his face, so Zabuza pulled his arms away and said, "Look at me."

Haku's black eyes strayed to his Master, afraid to stay focused on one part of his body for too long. His gaze darted from his Master's hands around his wrists, to his face, to his chest, to his eyes, and he wasn't sure of what was wrong or what was right. He started to sob again, lowering his head.

Zabuza leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "I don't know what you're crying for, Haku. I'm not going to do anything to you that you don't want."

He had heard those words before. The same person who had said them had also taken it upon himself to tell Haku what he wanted, and Haku had not agreed with any of it then and he didn't know if he could trust his Master now as he used those same words.

Zabuza let his wrists go, and Haku wrapped them around the man's neck gently, sobbing against his neck. Zabuza took advantage of this and he slid his hands onto Haku's back, feeling the soft skin underneath the fishnet.

He leaned in closer to his slave and Haku thought he was going to die when his Master spoke again.

"I'll only ask you this once today. I might ask you again in the future, but only once for today.

Do you want me to fuck you, Haku?"

Haku's heart pounded in his chest as he listened to that question. His brain screamed, 'yes, yes!' and his body, which was more knowledgeable in this arena, said, 'no, no!' and he couldn't pick one. This decision could define their relationship for the rest of his life, if he was allowed to spend the rest of his life with this Master, and before he could think clearly, he answered, whispering back into Zabuza's ear.

"Yes, Master."

Zabuza slid his hands over Haku's shoulders and he pushed him against the couch while pulling away from him. "You understand what that means? You understand what I'm going to do to you if you say yes?" his Master asked him skeptically.

Haku nodded sadly. "Yes, Master." He brought his own hands to rest on his Master's wrists, and he rested his head against one of his Master's arms.

His Master watched him for a moment. _How could he know? He's probably been fucked before then, by one of his older Masters…_

"One more question, Haku," Zabuza said. Haku looked back at him and asked softly, "What?"

"Why do you want me to fuck you?"

Haku blushed. He liked to hear his Master put those two words together, but he was hesitant about answering the actual question. He settled for the truth, the abridged version.

"You're the most attractive Master I've even had," he admitted. "And, maybe if we have sex, you'll let me see your face again."

Zabuza stared at him for a moment like he was crazy. "That's what you want to get out of it?" he asked.

Haku's expression showed his confusion. "No, but I'd like it." He amended his words. "I'm sorry, Master, if you don't want to take off the bandages, it won't change my mind."

"Even then, that's not enough reason for you to want me to fuck you."

Haku's face turned a darker shade of pink. He could have sworn that his chest was burning pink by then. "None of my other Masters could ever…arouse me…but…"

He trailed off, not wanting to complain to his new Master about his old one. That would just turn Zabuza off, and Haku didn't want that.

Was he even turned on? Haku realized that he'd just assumed that the man was aroused, and he hadn't seen his erection yet or been told that Zabuza actually wanted him.

"So I arouse you?"

Haku nodded. This was a power game, after all. He could feel his erection wane a little as he gave up more of his pride to his Master. "You arouse me, and I want you to fuck me," he said, reciting lines so similar to the ones he'd told his former Master. "Please, Master…I need you to…"

Zabuza cut him off. "I wasn't asking about that. So it is actually me? You do want me, and not something else?"

Haku was confused, but he didn't want to be difficult, so he answered in a weak voice, "Yes, Master."

Not taking his eyes off his slave, Zabuza brought one hand to his thigh and then slid it over his groin. Haku's eyes widened as his Master grabbed him firmly through his black pants and held him like that.

Haku squirmed under his Master's hand. "Master…" he whispered, his need evident in his voice.

Zabuza smiled under his mask. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me, Haku?"

His brain was buzzing at the moment. Ask him? Ask him to be gentle? Ask him to not hurt him? Ask him if he wanted to fuck him?

Well, the last one was obvious. Haku couldn't string anything together, not one good, fully-formed thought, and he blurted out, "Please…b-be good to me, Master."

Zabuza nodded, removed his hand, and stepped away from his slave. Haku was confused, but he trusted his Master. He also knew that he may have said the wrong thing, but he tried to not worry about that.

"Bathe, quickly, and shave off all the hair on your body," he said firmly as he let his eyes wander over his slave's lust-stricken body. "Come into my room when you're done."

His Master left him like that, incredibly aroused. He shook as he walked towards the bathroom, wondering what would await him when he came to his Master.

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Haku was careful not to touch himself while he bathed. The site of an erect penis sprouting up from his groin was rather unfamiliar—it had been years since he had let himself become aroused. Zabuza was too much for him, though. He shivered as he washed his groin, knowing that this part of his body had to be clean.

Haku had to guess a little with the shaving. His Master had said to shave off all the hair on his body, and this was open to interpretation. His Master's lack of eyebrows was proof that. Haku, however, would NOT shave his eyebrows or his hair, so he settled for shaving everything below his neck.

When he finished, he dried off his body and walked to his Master's room wearing a towel.

He knocked on the door softly and Zabuza opened the door for him, looking over his slave's body. He pulled Haku into the room and shut the door out of habit. He also pulled the towel off of Haku's body, and Haku shivered a little and blushed.

Zabuza focused his eyes on Haku's face. "You shouldn't be embarrassed."

"I know, Master. I'm sorry."

Zabuza suddenly pushed him down onto the bed, and Haku's cock jerked. He liked the rough treatment, as long as it only went that far, though he couldn't admit that to his Master.

Zabuza knelt in front of him, his hands on Haku's thighs once again, and his eyes wandering where they would. "You'll get used to it, Haku," he said in a low voice. "If you're good, you'll spend a lot of time in my bed."

Haku was shaking badly now. Those words had a strong effect on him, and, when combined with his Master's daring touch, his Master had made him even more aroused than he had been before. His cock jerked again and precum started to leak out of the head, to Haku's horror.

His Master removed his hands and began to untie the bandages around his face. Haku looked away, knowing that he might have wanted privacy while he became more vulnerable to his slave. Soon, though, Zabuza set the bandages in a neat pile on the small table near his bed, and Haku looked back at his Master.

He had shaved recently, maybe early that morning, but the stubble was still there, and everything else…it was all as good as the first time he'd seen him. Zabuza wasted no time, and he rested one hand on Haku's thigh as he used the other to pull Haku down to kiss him.

Haku was in heaven. He was really, really afraid that he was going to come prematurely if everything kept going so well…his Master hadn't touched his cock again, not after that one time in the living room, and he already felt like he was close. He reasoned that it must have been because the experience was so sudden, but so desirable, that his mind was providing pleasure that his body hadn't experienced.

He suddenly felt his Master grab his cock again, very firmly this time, and he started to pump him. Haku spread his legs a little, embarrassed because he knew that his Master might want to take advantage of his eagerness. Zabuza broke the kiss and watched Haku as he leaned back, supporting himself on his arms as he fought to stay silent.

"Master…" he finally whispered as he came close to the end. He started to worry. Did his Master not know that he wasn't far off? Did he actually want Haku to come so quickly?

Shame and guilt aside, Haku started to thrust into his Master's hand, whimpering softly as Zabuza tightened his grip. His eyes strayed to his Master's face, and he saw that he was being watched. Every part of his body was vulnerable and on display, and his Master looked like he was enjoying the show immensely.

As he arms tired, Haku fell back against the bed. He was struggling to hold his hips down to the bed now, his hands fisted in the sheets.

And all from a hand job.

"Master…" he whispered again. "I'm going to…come…soon."

This only made Zabuza speed up. "Master!" Haku cried. It was becoming more difficult for him to control his body…

He closed his eyes as his orgasm overtook him, and he felt something wrap around his cock and he gasped for air, his heart pounding in his ears. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his Master had wrapped a small towel around his cock as soon as he had started to come, getting rid of his semen before it created a mess. Haku was embarrassed by this, but he told himself that his Master just didn't like bodily fluids.

Haku sat up now, looking at his Master curiously. He hadn't fully recovered from his orgasm, but still…

His Master was still clothed. Granted, he was just wearing pants, arm warmer, leg warmers, and a tank top, but he was still…clothed.

It dawned on Haku that maybe his Master didn't want to fuck him. Maybe he'd just wanted to reward Haku, and part of the reward was pretending that he actually found his slave to be desirable.

Zabuza threw the dirty towel into one of the corners of the room and turned back to Haku. "Do you still want me to screw you?" he asked, his face serious.

Haku blinked. "Of course," he said. Had his Master thought that that was going to change?

"Do you want me to turn over?" Haku offered.

Instead of answering, Zabuza pushed him down to the bed and Haku spread his legs quickly, letting his Master lie between them. Zabuza held himself over Haku using one arm, and with the other he touched Haku's face.

"I'm going to wait for you to get hard again," he said as he touched Haku's lower lip. His slave shuddered, realizing that Zabuza intended to give him another orgasm. He let Zabuza kiss him again, more forcefully this time, and he knew it wouldn't be long before he would be ready for what his Master had planned.

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Haku's robe still lay in the living room. When Zabuza had tossed it to the side, a small, folded note fell out of one of the pockets.

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Haku lie still as his Master made his initial thrust. He'd decided to have Haku turn over in the end, hoping that Haku would feel more comfortable if he wasn't being watched.

He had to admit, though, even if he couldn't see Haku's face, he could watch his reactions just by the tightening of his fists, and the arching of his back. He was stiff now, not moving a single muscle as Zabuza pushed into him.

His body gave way due to years of familiarity with this sort of thing, and Zabuza was soon seated inside of him. Haku's back relaxed a little, and he let his head drop down to the bed as he focused his attention on the feelings coursing through him.

Zabuza HAD wanted to fuck him, after all, and his Master's cock was larger than his older Master's. Granted, his old Master had been older, and certain things didn't get better with age.

He could feel his Master's hands, first on his back and then on his ass, exploring new territory as he waited for Haku to get comfortable. Haku groaned under the soft touch, and started to shiver again.

Zabuza lowered his body onto Haku's, and whispered into his ear, "Tell me when you're ready, Haku." He took advantage of their proximity to run his hands over Haku's chest, and he played with his nipplies before sliding his hands down Haku's flat stomach to grab his cock firmly.

Haku jerked, and he thrusted…backward, right onto his Master's cock. Zabuza groaned in his ear, and said, "You're ready, now, aren't you?" He thrusted sharply into Haku's ass, not going into him hard just yet.

Haku whimpered. "Fuck me…" His cock twitched as his tongue betrayed him.

Zabuza thrusted again, following a pattern of even strokes. Haku struggled beneath him, trying to re-angle his body. His Master, in turn, pulled away from him so that he was holding Haku's hips tightly and he watched his slave again.

Haku really was beautiful. Even if he was often mistaken for a girl, that wasn't the kind of beauty that it was. He looked indecent, and Zabuza knew that he would never doubt Haku as an object of sexual desire ever again.

Haku pressed his forehead into the bed as he tried to hold still for his Master. _Why does it feel so good? I probably look like a cheap whore to him, whimpering and squirming. Oh, it never felt like this…maybe because I'm letting him see me aroused? And I'm letting him play with my cock now?_

He gasped as his Master gave his cock another tug before lowering his hand to cup his balls gently.

"Master…" he whimpered. "Please…I need to come…"

Zabuza laughed, not sadistically, but in an amused way. "Don't worry, Haku. I'm going to make you come again." He whispered in his ear, "You were good today," before he pulled back and thrust much, much harder into Haku's ass as his slave lie still, stunned.

_I was good…oh!_

"Fuck!" Haku whispered. Zabuza liked that reaction, so he tested Haku again. He took a second hard thrust with another curse, and he looked over his shoulder at his Master.

"Please…keep doing that…I want to come from that…" he begged his Master.

Zabuza smiled back at him, grabbed his hips with both hands, and started to pound into him relentlessly.

Haku grabbed the sheets again, moaning loudly now, no longer coherent enough to curse, and he felt his erection rub against the sheets as his Master changed their position slightly.

His Master, in the meantime, tried to focus on Haku's reaction to judge what he would do next. Haku had given up all forms of communication other than moaning and sobbing, though, so Zabuza decided he was giving him what he'd wanted and he sped up his thrusts as he felt his own orgasm nearing.

Haku's second orgasm took him by surprise, and he screamed as he came onto the sheets, his body still moving, still at his Master's mercy. Zabuza came soon after, pulling out of Haku's ass before he came and turning around. In his euphoric state, Haku guessed that his Master was doing the same thing to himself as he had done to Haku, and surely enough, a small towel soon found its way to the corner of the room.

Zabuza pulled him off the bed by one arm and ripped the top sheet of the bed, throwing it where the towels were laying. He led Haku lie down again before turning off the light and joining him.

Haku instinctively wrapped his arms around Zabuza, who was lucky that the dark hid his smile so well.

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	16. Chapter 16

Folded Hands, Chapter Sixteen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Er…pentuple update?

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When Haku awoke the next morning, his Master was still in bed with him. Haku smiled, burying his face in Zabuza's chest…

…and realized that he was still Zabuza's slave, and not his wife.

He got out of bed and threw on a clean robe (he didn't feel like dressing), then left the room to prepare breakfast. Haku smiled as he cooked for his Master. Yesterday had held a lot of surprises.

As their food began to cook, Haku looked through the living room for messes to clean up. He found his dirty robe on the floor, and next to it was a piece of paper that had been folded.

Haku stared at the folded piece of paper, wondering how it had gotten there. His Master would have probably thrown it away, right?

He recalled the night before, when his Master that thrown dirty linen and towels into a corner of the room, and not the laundry basket.

_I'll read it. If it looks like trash, I'll throw it away. If it doesn't, I'll fold it back up and let him find it himself._

His plan set, Haku unfolded the piece of paper and read.

'Haku—

We're gonna get you out of there.

You're too good a person to be that monster's slave.

Meet me tomorrow at three and we'll take you back to the Fire Country.

--Uzumaki Naruto'

Haku stared at the piece of paper before tearing it into confetti.

_Sorry, Naruto, but there is nothing now that can separate me from him. I never want to leave his side, and I do want to belong to him._

He threw away the scraps of paper.

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Haku decided to take a quick bath before returning to the kitchen. He was surprised to find his Master standing in front of the stove, stirring something.

Haku hurried back into the kitchen. "You don't have to do that, Master!" he said, quickly taking the pot handle and the spoon from him. "I'm sorry for leaving the kitchen…it was just for a few minutes, though."

"It's not worth apologizing for," Zabuza replied. Haku focused on the pot instead, although its contents did not actually need constant stirring.

Haku snuck a look at his Master's face and saw that the bandages were no where in sight. He let his eyes wander over his Master's face for a moment, and then he spoke.

"We're going to go see the fire-nin later today," he said.

Haku's heart skipped a beat. "When?" he asked softly, trying to keep his worries from his Master.

"Around three."

Haku stopped stirring, and embraced Zabuza. Not sure what this was about but not about to complain Zabuza patted his back. "Good morning to you too," he whispered in his ear.

Haku knew that this couldn't be real. He was allowed to be so close to Zabuza…to be the one to touch him…to hear 'good morning' and know that he had a chance to always be the first to hear that from him each day…

What were the fire-nin up to? Were they going to ambush Zabuza and drag him away? He shook his head against Zabuza's chest. _I don't want that._

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Naruto sat in bed, thinking about Kakashi's plan. Sure, the plan had only consisted of a fair trade, but dammit! Life wasn't fair, and sometimes he couldn't be fair or fight fair either!

He scowled at the ceiling. Sasuke had noticed his foul mood as he sat in the bed on the other side of the room. "What's up your ass?" he asked the blonde ninja.

Naruto tried to think of a way to turn that into a Sasuke-is-gay insult, but he was too absorbed in his thoughts of Haku. He sat up in bed and yawned.

He hoped that Haku had gotten his letter.

"Are you thinking about that note you slipped Haku yesterday?"

Naruto nearly fell of his bed. "How did you know?" he shouted, not quite believing.

Sasuke folded his arms. "It was pretty obvious. I mean, I saw you writing something on a piece of paper at the restaurant. Then, I saw the paper go into Haku's pocket after Sakura gave Haku his robe back." He glared at Naruto. "And last but not least, you hugged a GUY, Naruto. Come on. You need to act natural when you do these things."

Naruto slumped forward on his bed. "Ah, man…" He made a sad face as someone knocked on their door.

"Who is it?" Sasuke called.

"…you guys dressed?" Sakura called into the room.

"Tch." Sasuke glared at Naruto. "I wouldn't be naked if he was in the room!"

"Hey!" Naruto said. "We're naked around each other all the time at the temple's baths!"

"You DUMB FUCK! Do you not realize how GAY that sounds?"

"Hey! It's true, and there's nothing wrong with it! You go there all the time!"

Deciding that the males on her team were decent, Sakura rolled her eyes and opened the door to their shared hotel room. "It's noon already, and you two need to get out of bed," she said.

"You're quite the mother hen, Sakura," Naruto said. She, of course, punched him for it and sat down on his bed, facing Sasuke.

"Do you think Haku got his note?" she asked him curiously.

Sasuke smirked as Naruto shouted, "You saw it too? Ah man! I need to work on my sneaking skills!"

"Worst ninja ever," Sasuke said under his breath.

Kakashi knocked on the frame of the door that lead to the room then, his face buried in Come Come Paradise (the volume he'd purchased the day before).

"You three wearing any clothes?" he asked, not looking at any of them.

His three students deadpanned.

_What would we be doing if we were all in here with no clothes on…_Naruto wondered. The stupid look on his face made Sakura hit the back of his head and Sasuke glared at him as if to say, 'You are such a dumbshit'.

Kakashi flipped the page of his book. "So, Naruto, do you think that Haku got your note?"

Naruto blinked. "Okay, Sasuke and Sakura were there and all, but how do you know about it, Master Kakashi?"

Kakashi shrugged. "The trees have eyes," he said mysteriously as he left his students to pursue some adventure…or, rather, to read Jiraiya's latest trash novel.

Their teacher gone, Sakura turned to face Naruto. "So, what did you put in that letter anyway?"

He shrugged. "This and that."

Sasuke smirked. "A confession of undying love."

Naruto scowled again. "No, Sasuke. I'm not gay like you. Now YOU can go confess to Haku like you want and I won't stop you…"

A kunai whizzed past Naruto's cheek and hit the wall behind him. Sasuke pulled back his throwing arm and said, "No more gay jokes for the rest of the mission."

Sakura nodded. It was getting to her, too…Sasuke was the foremost object of her affection, after, Naruto being a distant second. She didn't want him to die by kunai, at the very least.

Sasuke cleared his throat, realizing that he'd made himself the center of attention and speculation. "What DID you put in that letter, Uzumaki?" he asked Naruto.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I just said that we'd meet today at three."

"…and?"

Naruto looked away guiltily as he told his teammates about the letter's contents.

Sakura stared at him. "You…you should be tried for treason!"

"Hey, that's a bit far--"

Naruto's defense was interrupted by a very pissed-off Uchiha. "No, Naruto, it's really not! That's insubordination, acting without orders…you FUCKING IDIOT!" he shouted, standing up. "How could you think that was a good idea?"

Sakura glared him down when he looked at her for help. "Go set things straight, you idiot!" she said, pulling him off the bed and pushing him out the door.

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Haku paced around his Master's living room, waiting for the man to finish preparations. He wanted to warn him about the ambush, but at the same time…maybe it was a joke?

No, it couldn't have been a joke.

Unless Sasuke had written it, pretending it was from Naruto. It seemed like something he might do.

Or, maybe, he'd just phrased it wrong. Maybe he'd meant that they'd VISIT the Fire Country…that would explain some of it…but the part about him being too good a person to be Zabuza's slave? Now, Haku wasn't sure if he even WAS a good person…at all…and he actually wanted to be with Zabuza, and if he would be with him as his slave, so be it.

His Master left his bedroom then, bandages covering the lower half of his face. "Are you feeling well?" he asked Haku.

His slave nodded, but Zabuza knew not to trust Haku on how he saw himself. Instead, he held Haku's shoulders, stopping him from pacing, and looked at Haku, his eyes boring in to his slaves'.

"Tell me what's bothering you," he said firmly.

Haku looked away, and said softly, "I received a strange letter from Naruto. He said that we'd meet at three and that…that I would go with him somewhere."

"And that's exactly what's happening."

Haku's eyes shot back to his Masters'. "I made an agreement with Kakashi yesterday. You're going to train at Konoha Temple for a few months, and then I'm going to teach you after that."

Haku felt like he'd been told the precise time of his death then. Three o'clock, no more Zabuza.

He embraced his Master again, and buried his face in his chest. He wanted to ask Zabuza to promise that he'd come back for him, but he knew that was too much to ask.

He had to trust Zabuza.

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"Will you really take care of me?"

Yondaime didn't spare the blonde boy a look. "Yes. Do you trust me?"

"No…" Taro confessed.

Yondaime sighed as he jumped to the next roof. "I need you to, Taro, even though it's hard. Just believe in me, and wish for the safety of the villagers."

Taro hid his face in Yondaime's black vest, the mark of the Hokage during battle. "I want everyone to live," he whispered. "I want everyone to live, I want everyone to live…"

Yondaime jumped off the roof and landed near the Umino's house. He saw the head of the house and his wife watching at the demon fox moved onto another portion of the neighborhood.

"Mr. Umino?" Yondaime asked as he approached them. They both turned around, startled to see the Hokage carrying around a young doppelganger of himself during the demon's attack. "Where is Iruka?"

Umino sighed with relief. "He's alive, thank goodness. He's out warning the other villagers and helping other families escape.

Yondaime nodded. That sounded just like the genin.

"We're going to set up the catapult system to try to kept that thing over here," Mrs. Umino said. The Hokage once again nodded calmly, and said, "Please be careful. I greatly appreciate your effort to keep the Nine-tails focused here, but please take care of yourselves as well."

Mr. Umino smiled at him. "As long as Iruka is safe, we're willing to fight for him!"

Yondaime nodded quickly and followed the demon's path of destruction.

"Who were those people?" Taro asked him.

"Just good people. They only have one son, and they always look after all of their neighbors, taking care of those in need." He smiled gently. "They are not rich people, nor are they ninjas—save for their son—but they want to protect the people of this village."

Yondaime felt a presence nearby, and surely enough, a silver-haired ANBU was following. "Sir, have you found the scroll?" the ANBU asked in a lazy, low voice.

Taro stared at the new man. He was wearing a white and red mask, black pants, and an ivory tank top. He looked frightening to the young boy.

Yondaime replied, "Yes. And this boy will be the container."

The ANBU kept up with his pace. "Sir, I understand your urgency to find a container, but myself or another ANBU, even a Jounin or Chuunin--"

"It has to be a child," Yondaime cut him off.

The ANBU was silent for a moment, then said, "Is there anything I can do to help with the ritual, sir?"

"Yes. I'll actually need you to help calm the boy." The older man did not turn to look at him, but the ANBU knew that Yondaime's attention was on him, seeing through him. "So please take off your mask, Kakashi, before you make little Taro cry."

The ANBU obeyed quickly, throwing the mask to the side. The lower face of his face was covered by a navy half-mask, and a strip of black cloth covered his left eye. "Not sure that did much to help, old master," he said jokingly.

Taro looked at the man again. He seemed relaxed and lazy now. Kakashi waved to him as they neared the demon, and Taro waved back, not sure of himself.

"Yondaime!"

A call from below alerted the Hokage: it was Umino Iruka. He instantly dropped down to meet the dark-skinned gennin. Kakashi followed suit.

Iruka saluted both men. He was only fifteen years old, maybe a little old to be a gennin, but still a decent ninja. Yondaime waved at him and he stopped saluting.

"Your parents are worried about you," Yondaime said.

"I know…" Iruka clenched his fists. "Are you going to perform the ritual?"

The Hokage nodded. "Hatake offered to help me, but you can help, too."

Iruka looked surprised. "How?" He eyed the unmasked ANBU beside the Hokage. He didn't have THAT kind of training, and he wasn't sure of what the Hokage could have wanted from him.

Yondaime shook his head. "You'll see soon enough. Follow me!" He jumped back onto the roof, followed by a silent Kakashi and a hesitant Iruka.

As they ran toward the demon fox, Taro waved shyly at Iruka. The gennin looked confused at first, but then he waved back, smiling broadly as the first catapult was fired.

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Haku eyed the path to the lake wearily. He knew that there was a good chance that this was a trap—he didn't know how fire-nin operated, after all.

His eyes strayed to his Master's back as he thought about what was about to happen. He was going to go to the Fire Country for a few weeks…after having sex with his Master? No, that wasn't right! He should have been able to enjoy their time together!

Then again, he didn't want his Master to have to teach him all of the basic that he was sure Naruto had learned when he was six…like, what was this chakra stuff all about?

But still, to be separated from his Master…

He saw Naruto's smiling face, Sakura standing politely, Sasuke with his arms folded, Kakashi reading…

Oh, who was he kidding. He saw Naruto's smiling face and he punched him when Naruto ran to meet him.

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Quick Quiz 5: (ONCE AGAIN THIS WILL NOT AFFECT SHIT)

Who does…Kakashi get?

1.Kurenai

2.Ayame

3.Sakura

4.Ino

5.Hinata

6.Temari

7….Iruka

8.Naruto (after he gets over being dumped by your mom for Sasuke)

9.Obito

10.Rin

11.Yamato


	17. Chapter 17

Folded Hands, Chapter Seventeen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Wow…the last chapter received (as of 4/22/06) an outstanding eleven reviews, and altogether the last five chapters received twenty-three reviews.

I would like to thank each and every one of you who have been kind enough to review so far. As for those who don't review, I am grateful that you like my story enough to have read it to this point.

Once again, thank you for sticking with "Folded Hands" to this point. Although the story is mine, the thanks is yours.

Enjoy.

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Haku followed his Master reluctantly as they walked through the dense forest leading to the Water Country's eastern border. The four Fire Country ninja lead the way, and no one had spoken for a while.

His fist still stung from the punch he'd given to Naruto. He knew that his guilt and anxiety made him more aware of the pain, and as he stole a glance at Naruto his self-doubt grew.

If his Master had noticed his mood, he had chosen to ignore it. The man had not reprimanded him for hitting Naruto either, though, if Haku had watched him more closely, he would have noticed the look of surprise that appeared on his Master's face for a fraction of a second after he had punched Naruto. Haku had been too focused on the blonde ninja at the time, though.

No one, in fact, had said anything about him hitting Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke had suspected that Haku would do something—though they hadn't expected that he would actually hit Naruto—and Kakashi, well…Kakashi didn't seem to mind that one of his students had been roughed up a little, even if the reason wasn't clear.

As Haku stole another look at Naruto, he regretted hitting him. There had been no reason for it, no REAL reason, but Naruto had caused him so much…concern…anxiety….panic…even if his Master actually HAD agreed to letting him stay in the Fire Country for a while for training, he couldn't help but feel that Naruto was pulling him away from his Master.

_Not after all that! Not after we started to grow close._

Sasuke knew better than to look at him after that mess, and Sakura had decided to take the tactic route as well by not saying anything to him. He wondered why neither of them had been surprised, but he knew that Naruto had a loose mouth and that he may have actually tried to conspire with them…

_No, why would they try to pull me away from Master? Maybe that's why they didn't stop me…maybe they didn't like his plan…then why would they let him go through with it?_

Haku realized that he didn't really know what either of them thought of him. He was about to be all alone in a foreign country. Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto…they were just acquaintances.

And how was he supposed to act without his Master around? His heart pounded, and he stole a glance at his Master.

_He wants me to train in the Fire Country. If that's his will, I will obey it. I will do nothing more, though. I only want to be by his side and serve him now. I have little use for anything but training. I must do my best to learn quickly so that he will see me as an acceptable tool and take me back._

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Naruto rubbed his face where Haku's fist had connected with it a few hours ago. A bruise had begun to form, and the entire left side of his face was throbbing dully.

He hadn't meant any harm; he'd just been glad to see Haku again. Naruto had realized that his letter might have troubled Haku (well, after much persuasion from his teammates) and he'd wanted to set things straight by explaining his intentions.

_I don't think that Zabuza really intends to take care of Haku. He's just a teenager like us, and he needs support. That man seems so cold and I don't think that he can be like Haku's family. Not only that, but…but he put Haku in danger!_

The path had lead them to a sparser section of the forest, an ideal resting place, but he didn't feel like resting. He wasn't sure about facing Haku then.

_If he hit me like that, then he must have been really upset. Haku's not the kind of guy who would just fly off the handle._

Kakashi didn't stop, either, and continued to push on ahead. The area began to look more familiar to Naruto, and that fact lifted his heart a little. He would be home soon, and he knew that, like the last mission, his falling out with Haku would end eventually.

He considered looking back at Haku. Maybe he had cooled off…

Naruto stopped himself. He didn't want to make Zabuza suspicious_. THAT guy,_ he thought, _is probably mad at Haku for hitting me. Shit, I hope Haku doesn't get punished later for that._

_Don't be a coward! Smile at him! Nothing is wrong with smiling! If Haku gets punished, just beat up Zabuza later! Tell Godaime he touched you or something…yeah, heh heh, the perfect plan…adults are always suspicious about stuff like that…_

The evil, scheming voice in Naruto's head continued. _That would be so funny! As soon as we get to the temple, I bump up against him, call red, beat him up, and get that old-ass Godaime to throw his ass out of the Fire Country, then Haku will live with me back home, and he won't have to stay with…_

He knew it was a stupid plan, and it wasn't something that he would actually do, but he entertained the thought for a moment before looking at Haku.

As soon as his eyes caught Haku's, he reflexively flashed him a big smile. Haku, after staring at him for a moment with his mouth open ever so slightly, perhaps preparing to apologize, smiled back. There was a pained look on his face, but his smile was genuine, and Naruto was relieved.

Then, Naruto realized that Zabuza was looking at him. Without thinking, he scowled at the man and whipped his head back around so that he didn't have to look at the water-nin anymore.

He was suddenly so full of energy, and he had to work it off before he exploded.

"Hey, everyone!" he shouted, drawing the focus of his teammates and teacher. Without letting anyone reply (and ignoring Sasuke's annoyed glare) he continued, "We're almost home! What are you going to do when you get home, Sakura?"

Haku watched in amusement as she tried to appease Naruto's sudden mood swing. "Uh…take a shower…use some really intensive conditioner--"

The scarred ninja interrupted, "Girl stuff, huh? And you, Sasuke?" He grinned at the black haired young man who looked ready to kill him. "Gonna borrow Sakura's girly conditioner to keep your hair all pretty?"

"Fucking die."

Naruto whistled, then turned around so that he was looking straight at Haku. Haku was a little surprised, but Naruto ignored the expression on his face and said, "When we get home—er, the to temple—I'll show you around. Well, after you clean up and eat and stuff. It's a lot of fun there, and there are a lot of people I want you to meet!"

Haku nodded dumbly and he let Naruto ramble on.

"There are a lot of strong people there! Some of them are mean, but a lot of them are nice and I'm sure that they'd all like to help you! As Sasuke sometimes says when he wants to seem cool, 'the best way to learn is to teach'! And besides learning, there are fun things, like going out to eat with Iruka, and getting on old-ass-Godaime-granny's nerves, and oh! There's Kiba and…"

Haku smiled and listened to Naruto, not really hearing him but not stopping him either. As Naruto continued to talk without any reply or encouragement, Haku had to fight back tears.

_There's nothing to worry about, right, Master? Because Naruto will be there to help me to not be lonely. I must be lucky…to have you, Master, but also to not have to be lonely when you're gone…_

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The temple was an old structure which had been renovated many, many times. It was in the style of old religious temples—it really did look like a place for people to pray—and the design consisted of five large pagodas linked by large halls. The village, called Konoha, was located to the east of the temple and spilled out into a large valley.

Haku took all this in with wonder as their group neared Naruto's home. He glanced at his Master's face to see that the man stoically accepted this place, far grander than anything that existed in the Water Country.

Haku swallowed nervously as they neared the large gate leading into the temple grounds. Was his Master going to leave now? Would he be able to say goodbye? Did his Master even want him to acknowledge his departure, or did he simply want his slave to wait and obey and let him leave? If so, then why did his Master come to the Fire Country in the first place?

A guard in one of the towers that stood on either side of the gate waved at them. "Password?" he shouted to Kakashi.

Kakashi gave him a look. "There's a password?" He stared at the guard for a few seconds, then rubbed his head as his students reacted to their predicament.

"Master Kakashi!" Naruto shouted, the first to complain. "How could you leave if you didn't know the password? Even a kid like me knows you can't do things like that!"

Sasuke was next. "Tch. It's your fault that we can never get back home, Master Kakashi. They don't let students know privileged information like that."

Sakura followed him, practically interrupting him. "Were you reading one of your books when they told you the password, you pervert?"

Haku blinked. He didn't….know the password? Really?

Who was he being entrusted to?

The guard shrugged. "Close enough. Password accepted." He waved them in and added, as he looked at Naruto, "Your part was a little off, kid."

"No way!" the blonde ninja shouted as he pointed at the guard. "It was perfect! I know the goddamn password!"

Haku was still confused. What was going on? The gate was opening, and the guard had stopped watching them.

His Master grunted. "Weird system you got here," was all he said in Kakashi's general direction. Haku grew more distressed…_wait._

Biting back his nervousness, he asked Zabuza, "Were their responses part of a script?"

Zabuza nodded without looking at him. "Short passwords are easy to remember. In training camps like this, it's important to keep outsiders, out."

Haku nodded. He was unaware with the fact that he had impressed Zabuza by deducing the nature of the password.

He was also unaware that his Master dreaded leaving him in the temple, and that he had raised his guard as soon as they stepped foot on the temple grounds.

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As he walked through the temple grounds, Haku became aware of the attention he was receiving. He realized that he stood out, and very badly at that. Haku lowered his eyes as a man and a young woman stopped training for a moment to stare at him. He noted quickly that the boy and girl both had dark hair and pale, pale grey eyes.

His Master passed him so that he could speak with Kakashi, and Haku soon fell into step with Naruto, who smiled at him as though they had never been on bad terms with one another. Nearby, two young men, one overweight and the other unreliable-looking, were training with a young, well-dressed blonde woman. The unreliable one saw him, and said something to his companions. They also stared at him, though the overweight one didn't stare for quite as long and the blonde seemed to look him over for quite a while.

Naruto sensed his nervousness. "I'll introduce you to everyone," he said, interrupting Haku's anxious thoughts. "There's a lot of people here, but you'll get to know the gang."

Sakura, who stood behind Naruto now, said, "Almost everyone here is like family, so it might take some time before they'll warm up to you, but once they have it'll feel like you've lived here your whole life."

_That's not what I want, though, Sakura. I want that with Master._

He heard Sasuke's voice from directly behind him. "There are some people that…maybe you shouldn't meet, though."

Haku turned around to answer Sasuke, but he felt eyes on him and he looked around to see whoever it was that was staring at him now. There was a young man watching him from a window in the southern tower.

Sakura realized that Haku had caught Sasuke's hint, and she said, "Oh, Sasuke's just talking. Don't listen to him."

Haku nodded, wondering why Sakura had tried to cover up Sasuke's advice.

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He found himself a short while later standing outside 'Godaime''s office, whoever that was, with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Kakashi and his Master were speaking with 'Godaime' now, probably working out the terms of Haku's stay.

Haku tried to hear what they were saying, but he couldn't hear a thing. Instead, he found himself constantly being distracted by the other three ninja waiting with him as he counted tiles on the hallway floor.

"…just fuck off."

"But Sasuke!"

"Naruto, shut up for a while."

"Come on, I want to know what you guys think of my idea!"

_What…are they talking about now? It probably doesn't have anything to do with me. It's probably an inside joke, or maybe a shared experience. Something I have no part in._

_That's right, Haku. You're here now, and these three kids won't pay as much attention to you anymore. Face it. There are strong relationships in this place, and you've felt them. Don't expect Naruto to be so warm with you now._

"We could do it at night. I have everything we need. It'll be neat, and fast, and a lot of fun."

Haku had tuned out for a minute, and he already didn't know what they were talking about.

_You will be an outsider._

"You've been thinking about this for a while now, huh?"

"Well, yeah."

"Jeez, Naruto, you need to get some other hobbies."

_You will be left out._

"Come on! You guys are so dull!" Haku turned to watch them talk. Naruto's back was to him, Sasuke was standing against a wall with his eyes closed and his head resting on one hand, and Sakura was looking out a window, trying to ignore Naruto.

_You will be alone._

Naruto suddenly turned around and faced him. "You want to, Haku?"

Somewhat startled, Haku asked, "Want to what?"

The door to Godaime's office opened just then, and Naruto shushed him quickly. Putting an arm around Haku's neck, he whispered, "I'll tell you later. It'll be great!"

Now very confused, Haku let Naruto drag him into Godaime's office.

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The twenty-something blonde woman cleared her throat and extended her right hand to Haku. "I take it that you're Haku?" she asked, smiling so politely that she could have easily outdone Sakura.

"Y-yes," he said, taking her hand. He was almost certain that his Master would want him to respond in this way.

His Master, along with Kakashi, had left the office as soon as he had entered. He had not been able to catch his Master's eye then—or rather, the man had ignored his pleading look—so he had followed Naruto even after the blonde had let go of him.

_Why am I meeting this woman? _He wondered. It seemed as though she was this 'Godaime' person.

Haku released her hand, and she said, "I'm Tsunade, our temple's current Hokage. If you ever need anything during your stay here, just ask me, or, ask one of the kids here."

"Yes, ma'am," he said softly.

A look of utter horror found its way to her face and she held up her hands. "How old do you think I am, young man?" she asked with a nervous laugh. "Please, call me Tsunade! I'm not a 'ma'am'!"

Naruto scoffed. "You're at least fifty years old, Godaime-granny!" He nudged Haku's side. "This lady uses a genjutsu to-HEY!"

Haku stared, once again marveling at Naruto's relationship with his elders, as the blonde woman hit Naruto's head. She immediately drew her hand back as soon as Naruto had begun to whimper in pain, and smoothed out her green robe. "As I was saying, call me Tsunade."

Haku nodded quickly.

She sighed. "As far as your stay here goes, we've worked out an agreement with your teacher. I'll go over the details of if in a moment. First," she said, turning to the three fire-nin standing to Haku's right, "you three need to turn in your mission reports to Records. After that, Sakura," she said, looking at the pink-haired ninja, "your parents want to see you. You are dismissed."

Sakura bowed and left the office.

"Sasuke, your father asked that you come home soon. He's worried about you and came by earlier today to ask that you be sent home immediately. And I mean immediately," she said, giving Sasuke a level look before he said anything. "Don't get me into trouble with the head of the police department. You are dismissed."

Sasuke bowed and left, walking considerably more quickly than Sakura had.

Tsunade turned to Naruto. "Troublemaker, Yondaime wants to see you. Also, if you have anything to report on the progress of your 'meditation', then give your OTHER written report to Records."

Naruto smirked. "Old foxy is just fine! I even--"

She held up a hand. "I don't care. Tell records, or better yet Yondaime. You are dismissed."

Naruto turned to Haku. "I need to go see my guardian, but, um, you can find me in the north tower. Just ask for me and anyone can tell you where I stay."

Haku nodded and watched nervously as his lifeline left him alone in the office with Tsunade.

As soon as the door to her officer shut, Godaime sighed and sat down. "Have a seat, kid," she said to Haku. He quickly obeyed and she sat forward in her chair, chin rested on her interlaced fingers with her arms as support.

"I know that you're a slave."

Haku's eyes opened wide for a moment, then he nodded. "I see. My Master told you?"

Tsunade nodded. "Slavery isn't legal in this country, though. Well, it doesn't matter too much right now. You'll be staying away from him for a while, so it's not like anyone's breaking any law. I don't want to meddle with outsider's affairs anyway."

Haku nodded. "It's very much appreciated," he said in a soft voice.

She stared at him for a moment, then continued. "I've worked out an arrangement with your Master. In return for training, board, food, and everything else we'll give you, you have to help the other students at the temple train against water jutsu. Also…"

Tsunade took a breath. "Also, Kakashi told me that you might have….something of interest to the temple. You don't need to worry about this now, but if you do have it, we are allowed to study you to see what this…things's…potential is."

Haku wasn't sure of what to make of that, but he nodded. "If my Master allowed it…"

"It's nothing to worry about," she said, shifting her position so that she was leaning back in her chair with her arms behind her head. "If you have it, it would be a good thing, for both you and for the temple.

And one more thing—while you stay here, you are not a slave. You are a student. This means that you are the same as the other students, and none of the students will be told that you are a slave. It would be troubling if you were to reveal that you were a slave, so don't call Zabuza your 'Master' to the other's faces, and don't let anyone order you around."

Haku nodded, letting that sink in.

Tsunade watched him, and either she decided that he understood or she was tired of talking to him, because the next thing she said was, "Now, you should be able to find someone around here who can show you around. Don't be shy, and have a nice day." She dropped out of her relaxed pose and smiled at him politely with a look that said, 'Get the hell out'.

"Thank you," he said as he left her office.

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As Sasuke ran home to see his father, a sense of dread and foreboding overtook him. He neared the Uchiha district, and found that the people in the streets were quiet.

His heart rate increased as he ran harder. Something wasn't right.

Sasuke's house came into view, and the sense of foreboding became stronger. He threw open the side door as soon as he reached his house and—

"Mother FUCKER!" Sasuke shouted as a well-placed forehead flick nearly knocked him to his knees. He grabbed his forehead as he looked up to see his older brother standing over him.

"Hello, Sasuke," Itachi said, grinning in victory. "You're lucky that mom and dad didn't hear your foul language." He extended a hand to help his younger brother to his feet.

Sasuke pushed himself up on his own, ignoring his brother's hand. "It's your fault for flicking me!"

"And whose fault is it that you never see it coming?"

Sasuke glared at his older brother for another moment before asking, "Where is dad?"

"At the office, as usual," Itachi said, sitting down at the low table in the center of the room to drink a cup of tea. Sasuke noticed that there were two cups, though he didn't ask why.

"Thanks!" Sasuke said. He left quickly, taking to a sprint, and he briefly wondered how Itachi had known that he would arrive home at that exact moment.

_He got lucky. He's usually on a mission when I come home._

_And because of that, I usually don't get a 'welcome home'._

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Sasuke ran into his father on his way to the police station. The Uchiha family had been the civilian police for generations, and a ninja branch had been added recently—they were the 'elite' police, though not on the order of ANBU.

His father shook his head when he saw his son running towards him. Sasuke had slowed to a walk immediately, but his father had still caught him.

"Sasuke, what have I told you about running through the district?" his father asked. "When you act childishly, you mar the image of the Uchiha clan."

Sasuke bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, father," he said while trying to catch his breath. "You wanted to see me after the mission?"

His father nodded. "Your brother will be staying home for a short while. You are not to distract him while he trains. Is that understood?"

He watched as his son nodded and bowed. "I will not keep Itachi from his training," he said.

_That prodigy has already given up so much, _his father thought sourly. _Itachi turned down a position directly under me at the police station, a high honor worthy of his accomplishments, so that he could help Sasuke train when he was younger! And now, he still takes ANBU-level missions when he should be an ANBU captain!_

Unconsciously, Sasuke's father shook his head as he began to walk home with his ordinary son.

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As Sakura ate dinner with her parents, she told them about what she'd done on the mission.

"You dressed as a prostitute?" her mother asked, laughing. "Oh, honey, I don't think you could pull that off."

"Not just dressed," Sakura said, beaming. "I acted! It was funny, actually, because I had my clone do it--"

Her father interrupted her. "Clone? What's that? And what business does your teacher have in making you do things like that?" Without waiting for a response, he said, "Those kinds of things don't suit you. If I had known you'd have to pretend to be a whore, for god's sake, I would have put my foot down!"

Sakura looked away. "Well, you know, it just kind of happened…"

Her father was still not pleased. "No more dangerous missions for you. Tomorrow, I'm going to see that Hokage woman and tell her not to put my little baby in danger like that."

"I can handle it, dad!"

Her mother put a hand on Sakura's arm. "Just let him try to protect you, honey. He's still your father, even if your growing up to be a big girl."

Sakura's parents were civilians. She was contstantly infuriated with their attitudes about her work. Her father had never wanted her to be a ninja in the first place, and her mother often belittled what she did or pretended that Sakura wasn't a REAL ninja like the ANBU she had seen during the Nine Tails attack.

Her parents started to talk about neighborhood gossip and she stared at her food.

_I can't wait to go back to the temple._

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Yondaime's place was empty when Naruto arrived there. He unlocked the door and ran to his section of the apartment to shower and change.

The apartment was located in the temple, and its intended use was for the entertainment of foreign guests. Since the Nine Tails attack, though, the Hokage's living space had been taken by Godaime, and Yondaime (who wanted to stay at the temple, even in his weakened condition) had taken up residence there.

When he stepped out of his room, he found his guardian sitting in the study, looking over some sort of paperwork. Boring Stuff.

Naruto watched him for a moment before the blonde man turned to smile at him.

"Hello, Naruto. I see that you were able to make it home safely."

Naruto took that as his cue to enter his guardian's office. He took a chair on the either side of Yondaime's desk and waited for Yondaime to ask him a question about the mission.

"I've heard that you have a new friend?" he asked after what felt like hours.

Naruto, who could not go extended periods of time in silence, suddenly exploded. "Yeah, there's this guy Haku and he's going to stay here and I'm going to train him--"

Yondaime looked up from his paperwork and smiled. "I've heard from Godaime. It's good that you were able to make a new friend so easily."

His ward nodded, trying to keep silent. He wanted to tell Yondaime about the mission, but…

_Restraint. Need to be peaceful. Don't blurt._

"I'm going to be here for a while," Yondaime said then. "Why don't you ask Iruka to take you out for ramen?"

"Sure!" Naruto smirked. "But first, I need to find Haku. He's probably lost without me!"

"Come back before dark," Yondaime said, letting Naruto leave.

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Haku had been able to find his living quarters after a few minutes. It seemed as though he would be rooming with Sasuke, who until then had occupied a room in the temple by himself. Once in the room, he tried to orient himself.

There were two beds on either side of the room. The furnishings were sparse, which he had expected of Sasuke. One of the beds was neatly made, and the other was laden with books and training manuals. There was a desk on the far side of the room, also covered with books.

He wanted to bath rather badly, so he cleared a space on the book-covered bad to set his travel pack down. He suddenly felt much lighter after setting it down, and he stretched before looking through his pack for a change of clothes.

Haku found his way to the bathroom with assistance from the same overweight young man he'd seen earlier, and he thanked him before entering the room. There were no noises, so he assumed that he was alone.

This place looked familiar…like one of the baths at his last Master's bathhouse. He shivered for a moment, then told himself, _That won't happen, this is just a normal public bath._

Even so, he wrapped a towel around his waist before reentering the bathing area after taking off his dirty clothes. He washed quickly, then put the towel back on before entering the bath itself.

Haku tried to relax. He closed his eyes and thought, _the water feels good. This is perfectly acceptable._

He opened his eyes as he saw someone staring at him from across the bath. Granted, the bath was very large, but….

The young man rolled his eyes as he saw Haku's surprise.

"W-were you here the whole t-time?" Haku asked nervously.

"Yeah," he said. Haku now recognized him as the unreliable ninja who had been training with the overweight guy who'd shown him to the bath room. "I don't see what the trouble is, though…" the unreliable guy added before relaxing.

Haku held his head in his hands. _He saw me naked!_

"By the way…I don't like introductions, but my name is Nara Shikamaru," the unreliable guy said. "I take it you're staying here for a while?"

Haku nodded, pulling his hands down from his face. "Yes, my name is Haku."

"Just Haku?"

"…yes."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Haku contemplated getting out. He wasn't comfortable in that situation, but he didn't want to admit it by scurrying out of the water.

He heard someone else enter the water, and he looked to his left to see a young man with dark brown hair. He looked familiar, though Haku wasn't sure of why.

Shikamaru seemed to stiffen as soon as he saw the newcomer, but he didn't say anything.

Haku nervously turned toward the newcomer and said, "Hello, my name is Haku."

As soon as Shikamaru heards Haku introduce himself, his attention shot back to him. The newcomer smiled, and Shikamaru knew from that grin that Haku's fate was sealed.

"Hello," he said, "My name is Sai."

"Sai?" Haku asked. _It seems as though he doesn't have a last name either._

Sai nodded and watched Haku for a moment before asking, "What do you think of the bath here?"

Haku blinked before smiling back, as politely as he could, and answering, "Well, to be honest, I don't really like public baths."

"That's why you're wearing a towel, right?"

Haku blushed. "Yes."

Shikamaru stared as Sai smiled, and thought for a moment before saying, "I see you shave."

Haku's eyes widened. He hadn't realized that his current lack of body hair might catch anyone's attention…he had just done it for his Master…

"Hey, Sai," Shikamaru said.

Sai turned to him and said, "I know you're lonely without your older girlfriend to comfort you, but don't talk to me, Nara. I'm not a good replacement for her."

Haku wasn't sure why, but the unreliable guy looked flustered and said, "Whatever. Just don't do anything troublesome."

"I won't do anything to trouble you, Nara," Sai said. He turned back to Haku. "So, who did you shave your body hair for?"

Haku swallowed. He didn't know what to say. "I…nobody…"

"No one goes through all that trouble without a reason," Sai said. Haku blushed. "Did you want to look more like a girl?"

"Sai," Shikamaru warned.

Sai ignored him. "Did you shave everywhere, Haku?"

"That's…"

Sai edged closer and reached for his towel.

Fear took over and Haku grabbed Sai's wrist and twisted it behind his back. He only realized what he was doing when he heard Sai's wrist crack.

He released Sai quickly, and the other young man just smiled back at him.

"Not comfortable with that, are we?" he asked. "And I wonder why."

Haku stared at him as he realized that he had somehow made an enemy.

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Quick Quiz 6:

Pair Up Gaara! Provide your own answers!

ONCE AGAIN YOUR ANSWERS WILL NOT CHANGE SHIT. I WANT TO SEE WHICH OF YOU IS THE FUNNIEST. ALSO…WHO COULD YOU EVEN PUT HIM WITH? AND DON'T YOU DARE SAY KANKURO OR TEMARI.

Er, also, Sai is not an original character. He's in the manga. I won't give away too many spoilers here.


	18. Chapter 18

Folded Hands, Chapter Eighteen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Smoe's Gaara pairing was pretty funny but the winner is Reiya Inc. due to…well, Reiya said Vince Vaughn and not only is that WEIRD but he's…well, you know. Good job.

Smoe—

Gourdness!

Ima Super Mute Ant—

Heh heh, they probably wouldn't…

MewMew2—

I forgot what chapter it was exactly but I want to say it's around 270 or 280. I don't have the chapter anymore, but I think it's somewhere around there. I'll post the chapter number if I ever find it.

IceNight009—

Yes, incest is gross, but lots of fanfiction writers and readers go for it. Like, EdxAl from FMA, or putting twins together…I actually am a twin, so this pisses me off. Fuckers.

I also agree with you that no characters seem to fit Gaara; that's actually why I posted that quiz.

Lastly, Sai ain't "queer". Well, probably not. In the manga, Sai likes to piss people off, get under their skin…I don't want to spoil anything (like how he insults Naruto) so I won't give anything else away.

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Haku looked for familiar faces as he ran through one of the halls of Konoha temple. He knew that he was drawing looks, but his panic had overtaken him.

_Where could Master be? I didn't see him after I left the Hokage's office, and then I took a bath…I have no idea where he could be! Was I supposed to follow him earlier?_

He recognized the overweight, yet kind, ninja who had helped him earlier. He was eating a bag of potato chips while walking alongside the attractive blonde girl Haku had seen him with earlier.

"Chouji!" she shouted, trying to snatch away the bag of chips. "You're going to ruin your diet!"

He tried to shield the bag from her and pouted. "It's not nice to grab things from people. Besides, it's been four hours since lunch and I need a pick-me-up!"

"Honestly! And we're on the way to dinner to!" She threw her hands up in the air in an exasperated fashion and her blue eyes found Haku as he ran toward them to ask for directions.

_It's that new girl! _She thought.

Chouji saw him, too, and waved to him. Haku stopped in front of them for a moment, hands on his knees so that he could catch his breath.

Before he could ask his question, Chouji asked, "Are you looking for your teacher?"

Surprised, Haku stood up. "My teacher?"

"That guy you came here with earlier. He's your teacher, right?" Chouji asked him, concerned.

_That's right. I need to pretend that I'm an ordinary ninja in training and that Master is my teacher._

Haku nodded. "I can't seem to find him." He realized that the girl was looking him over again with a look of curiosity on her face, and he shied away from her eyes.

Chouji turned and pointed down the hall he'd come from. "Go through there, then turn right and go straight again. I heard from Master Asuma that a foreign ninja from the Water Country is going to stay there for the night, and it's probably your teacher."

"Thank you," Haku said breathlessly as he ran past them.

Ino scoffed. "She's not very ladylike, running through the halls like that."

"That's a guy."

"WHAT?"

Chouji returned his attention to his bag of chips as his female teammate tried to comprehend what he had said.

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At the same time, Naruto found himself running through the halls of Konoha temple, looking for Haku.

_Where could he have GONE? He's not in Sasuke's room, and the only person I found in the bathing room was Sai…uh…and I don't think he's in the dining hall yet…_

_Well, I'll check there._

Naruto dashed towards the dining hall. _We haven't eaten for hours, so maybe he'd go there! It's worth a shot, at least._

He rounded a corner and ran into Hyuuga Hinata as she waited at the entrance to the dining hall. Naruto jumped back as soon as he found himself standing over Hinata, and he offered her a hand.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata!" he exclaimed, pulling her to her feet as her face turned bright red. Without any further apology, he rushed back into his search for Haku.

"Hinata, have you seen the new guy around here?" he asked, trying to look past her to see into the dining hall.

Hinata blushed after hearing Naruto say her name, but she answered his question as normally as she could. "N-no, N-N-Naruto, I didn't kn-know that there was a new b-boy here."

Naruto stared at her. "Did I really scare you or something?"

Hinata realized that he was referring to her stuttering, and she held her hands up. "No, Naruto! I was just a little s-surprised to see you so suddenly!" She laughed politely, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Well, anyway, there is a new student here. He came here with us earlier today and I can't find him!"

Realization seemed to come over Hinata. "Oh, that girl…or, I guess it was a boy…is a new student?"

"Yep!" He smiled. "I was gonna show him around, but he disappeared on me…" Naruto thought for a moment. "Can you do me a favor, Hinata?"

Hinata felt her heart lift, and she said, "Of course, Naruto!"

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Haku rounded the last corner to find a group of adults talking in a hallway. There was a shapely brunette woman with red eyes, a large rough-looking man with black hair, and Naruto's teacher, Kakashi.

Haku walked up to them and waited until one of them would acknowledge him and listen to his question. This was somewhat unfortunate, because Kakashi stood with his back to Haku as he spoke with his companions.

The woman laughed. "So, Haruno got to do a little role-playing, huh? I would never push that on my Hinata."

The rough man rubbed his chin in contemplation. "I can see Ino taking to that…but Shikamaru would make fun of her until she wouldn't feel up to it anymore. Either that, or she'd hate the clothes she's have to wear."

"I didn't get any complaints," Kakashi said, shrugging. "Sakura likes challenges." Without turning around, he asked, in a louder voice, "Can I help you with something, Haku?"

Haku gave a start, then said, "Yes, please. I was wondering where my Mas—where Master Zabuza was?"

The woman looked over Kakashi's shoulder, right into Haku's eyes. "Is this the new student?" she asked curiously.

Kakashi stepped out of the way and pushed the unwilling Haku forward to meet his companions. "Yes. This is Haku, a student from the Water Country. He's going to stay here for a while, so you two need to be nice."

He motioned towards the rough man, and said, "Haku, this is Asuma."

Haku bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you."

Kakashi then motioned towards the woman. "And this is Kurenai." After Haku bowed, he said, "These two each teach a three-man team, like the kids you met already. Naruto will probably introduce you to their students if he hasn't already."

"No, he hasn't…" Haku remembered what he'd wanted to ask Kakashi. "Have you seen Master Zabuza anywhere?"

"Yeah, he's in his room the last I saw him."

Haku's heart was lifted instantly. He was close by! "Could you please tell me where--"

His question was interrupted as a dark-skinned man who wore his brown hair in a ponytail rushed down the hallway. "Kakashi!" he shouted.

Kakashi pulled his attention away from the now frustrated Haku. "Yo, Iruka!"

Iruka strode up to Kakashi, and in an obvious effort to hide whatever he was actually feeling, he said, "I take it that Naruto came back alright."

The silver-haired man smiled at him through his mask. "Of course. I would never let any harm come to Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura."

Iruka tried to hold back something, then said in as controlled a voice as he could, "That is not something that I would believe so easily, from hearing the stories that Naruto comes back with every time a mission ends, Kakashi."

Haku fumed silently as he watched the two men hold their own conversation which was completely unrelated to his dire request.

As if she had been able to hear his brain screaming, Kurenai turned to Haku and said, "Your teacher is in room 320. Just go down that hall to the right, and he should be in the last room."

Haku thanked her, bowed, and left.

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Hinata smiled at her teammates as they came into her line of sight.

She had promised to do something for Naruto, and now was the time to start.

_I don't know how this will help Naruto, but I'll give it my best shot!_

"Kiba! Shino!" she called to her male teammates in a soft voice as they neared her. Kiba replied by saying, "Good afternoon, Hinata!" and Shino nodded as if agreeing that the afternoon was good.

She walked up to them. "I need to ask you two to do something for me. Is that alright?"

Kiba's eyes widened.

"Is it a secret?" Shino asked.

Hinata started to whisper something to Kiba, and then she told Shino. They both shrugged, then nodded.

"Now, can you please both tell other people?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure, but what for?" Shino asked, his expression hidden behind his sunglasses and hood.

Hinata blushed. "Um…it's something that N-Naruto wanted me to do…"

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Haku knocked on the door to room 320. There was no noise in the room, and he waited for a few seconds, not sure if his knock would be answered. He realized that he might have been bothering his Master, and that maybe he shouldn't have sought him out in the first place.

_I am going to have to stay here on my own for a month, _he thought. _He may be annoyed if I show that I am too dependent on him._

His self-doubt increased when the door to his Master's room opened, and Zabuza stood before him. Haku noticed that the man was still wearing bandages over the lower half of his face.

_What, did you want a kiss, Haku?_

He bit that thought down. _Even if we did that…thing, we're not—I'm still his—_

"What is it?" Zabuza asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Haku swallowed nervously, then said, "I was wondering what you wanted me to do right now."

"Have you eaten?"

_Eaten? _"No, Master…Zabuza."

His Master studied his face for a few seconds, then said, "So go eat with the other kids."

_Other kids._

Haku nodded and smiled at his Master. "I will. Thank you, Master." he said, bowing as he heard his Master's door shut.

As he began to walk away, he wondered what he'd done that would warrant this treatment. They had…grown closer, hadn't they? Haku had hoped that maybe there would be a relaxation of their relationship, but if not…

_That is something that he will decide, and I will follow his decision._

Haku retraced his steps, more slowly this time, to the place where the overweight young man had given him directions.

_That's right. My duty is to submit to his will completely. There is nothing else to our relationship._

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Haku found his way to the dining hall rather easily. The majority of the people in the hall were walking in the same direction, and he had realized that it must have been dinner time at the temple.

He caught more stares as he followed the crowd. There were children who stared at him nervously, teenagers who gave him cold glares or warm smiles, and adults who face showed no expression. Haku briefly wondered why there were people of so many different age groups at the temple.

As he entered the dining hall, he began to nervously search for Naruto, Sakura, or Sasuke with his eyes. He caught a flash of pink, and Sakura was indeed in the dining hall, sitting at a table with the attractive blonde girl he'd seen earlier.

Haku walked towards her briskly, and she and her friend both saw him, smiled, and waved.

"Hi, Haku!" Sakura said cheerfully.

"Hi, guy!" the blonde said.

Haku deadpanned.

_Guy…?_

_I'm glad that she doesn't think I'm a girl, but is that an appropriate way to address someone?_

Shaking it off, he took a place sitting across from Sakura. "Hello, Sakura," he said, smiling back at her. He noticed that she was already eating.

The blonde girl reached across Sakura. "We didn't really meet yet, but my name is Yamanaka Ino," she said, holding out her hand for Haku to shake. He took it and said, "My name is Haku."

Ino nodded and sat back. "Sakura's told me some stuff about you. You helped her out on the last mission, right?"

Sakura nodded before Haku could respond. "He picked me up and ran with me! It was so cool!" She blushed. "It was like something Sasuke would have done!"

"Hmph." Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura. "Not with you, Sakura." She turned her attention back to Haku and blurted out, "This isn't what dinner is usually like."

"Huh?" he asked, not quite sure of what she was talking about.

Ino snatched Sakura's plate out from under her chopsticks and showed it to Haku. "They changed the menu today. Godaime wanted to be sure to impress the foreigners, so we're all eating this," she said.

Haku inspected the food as Sakura glared at her blonde friend. It looked like something that he had seen his old Master eat once.

He shuddered involuntarily.

Ino continued. "It's usually rice and vegetables and stuff around here. Well, some of our parents give us real food, but it's usually nothing special." She unceremoniously set Sakura's plate back down on the table.

"Why would she serve different food?" Haku asked.

Ino gave him a weird look. "You're kind of like a diplomat or something, I don't know what it's called, but you're a foreigner and Godaime likes impressing foreigners."

"...then why are you telling me?"

"I don't like sneaky stuff," Ino said. And that was that.

The unreliable guy from before—Shikamaru—and the guy who'd given him directions now sat down with the girls. Shikamaru sat down next to Haku, across from Ino, and Haku blushed.

_He saw me in the bath. And not only that…that guy from before…_

"Hey, lazy," Ino said to Shikamaru. "Have you met Haku yet?"

He nodded. "Sai met him, too."

Ino's blue eyes widened. "Oh, god." She glanced at Haku and said, "He's gonna have a field day, isn't he?"

Sakura elbowed Ino as Haku looked around the table. Everyone was staring at him now with looks of concern on their faces.

"Don't worry," Chouji said. "Sai's usually off by himself. He shouldn't bother you too often."

"Why would I need to worry about that?" Haku asked. "He…made fun of me earlier, but…"

Sasuke sat down next to him. "Worry about what?" he asked the group in general.

Haku swallowed nervously. "I-I met a guy named S-Sai--"

Sasuke's eyes shot open, then he turned away from Haku and said, "Just don't hang around him. If he doesn't see you, he doesn't say anything."

"Who is Sai?" Haku asked. He was becoming frustrated with the lack of answers.

Sakura waved him off. "Oh, he's just a guy who works with one of the 'elite' teams in the northern tower. He likes to bug people when he comes out of the tower, and that's about it."

_Bug people?_

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Zabuza lay back on his bed and he stared at the ceiling as he contemplated his next move.

_I can get that kid off my hands for a while, make some more money, and maybe he'll have become more experienced by the time I get back. No amount of teaching will help if he can't get any experience, and I'm not up to all of that._

It was fortunate that he had come across the fire-nin before he'd become too frustrated with Haku. The slave had potential, but Zabuza wasn't the teaching type, and he wanted Haku to learn his water jutsu, and maybe to find a way to use his water-manipulating ability more effectively, but he didn't want to have to hang over Haku, making him learn the basics.

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(Three days before the Gatou mission)

"Hey! BANDAGE FACE!"

Zabuza stared at Naruto as he stomped towards him from across the lake. "What's he doing?" he asked Kakashi without taking his eyes off the angry young man as Sasuke tackled him mid-stride.

Kakashi shrugged. "It's Naruto. Sometimes, he just needs to be left to his own devices."

The two young fire-nin continued to struggle, and Zabuza looked at his slave's face across the lake. Haku looked worn out so suddenly.

_The emotional crises of teenagers._

Zabuza turned his attention back to Kakashi. "Your kids ever give you trouble?"

"Just the same old thing, over and over," Kakashi said as he started to open one of the scrolls containing the mission plans. "Naruto and Sasuke fight because they each have a gigantic ego. Sakura used to be the voice of reason, but she's taken to fighting them too, just not as often as they fight each other. And there are some things about them that I can't stand."

"Like what?"

"On some days, their faces."

Zabuza laughed.

Kakashi spread the map of Gatou's base out on one of the large, flat-topped rocks near the lake's shore. Zabuza lingered, his attention back on his student. Haku was now fighting Sasuke, though it was obviously a training fight. He watched the black-haired fire-nin hold back against Haku, and stop frequently to give him advice.

He knew that Haku knew that he was inferior to the foreign ninja, even if they were the same age.

_It must be hard for him to have to learn from a kid his own age._

"I have to admit," he said after watching Haku for a moment, "that your students seem to be very skillful. Did you train them yourself?"

"Hell no," Kakashi said. "Back home, the kids train at our temple until they're thirteen, when they are separated into three-man teams and given a specific teacher. Meaning, me."

"So they learn the basics there?" Zabuza asked, making his way towards Kakashi.

"Yeah. It's not my job to teach them the little things—just to supervise them on missions."

"I want Haku to go there."

Kakashi looked up from the map, somewhat surprised, though the bland expression hadn't left his face. "You want to send your slave to train at our temple."

"Yeah. Maybe we can work out some deal." Zabuza sighed as he watched Haku take a punch from Sasuke in the face. "I don't want to teach him the basics myself, and he has a lot to learn."

Kakashi nodded. "The leader of our temple has always liked the idea of foreigners training with our students—you know, so they can learn how to fight against a lot of different techniques."

"So we can work something out?" Zabuza asked.

"I think we can."

Zabuza noticed that Haku had taken a break from his training fight with Sasuke, and that he was lying on the grass near the lake's shore.

"Good," he said as he walked towards Haku.

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There were other reasons for getting rid of Haku for a while, though.

He was very distracting.

Besides, Zabuza liked his solitude. There was freedom in loneliness, and he found that to be very appealing.

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Taro stared at the large nine-tailed fox as it carved a path through their town, straight to the building where he, Yondaime, the scary silver-haired man, and the dark-skinned teenager were waiting. Yondaime knelt by him, and Taro wrapped his arms around Yondaime's arm in fear.

"Don't worry, little Taro," Yondaime said. "We're going to get rid of it."

Iruka tried to look at the streets, searching for his parents. Another rock from the Umino catapult hit the beast, and Iruka sighed in relief. His parents were still alive.

Taro whimpered. He was cold, tired, and scared out of his mind. He was surrounded by three strange men, standing on a rooftop, and staring at a monster that resembled something from one of his dreams.

The beast suddenly thrashed, taking out another section of the town as it came closer to Taro. He shut his eyes tightly and heard Iruka stomp across the roof in the direction the fox had taken.

"Calm down, Iruka," Yondaime said. "I'll need you to focus during the ceremony."

Kakashi stood by silently, waiting for his older teacher to give him instructions.

The Nine Tails turned its head in Yondaime's direction, and he pulled out a flare, lit it, and threw it into the air. The beast became enraged and ran towards the Hokage once the light had died out.

"Now," Yondaime said, pulling out the forbidden scroll he'd taken from his office. "Kakashi, Iruka, hold him down. He's going to thrash around once I've implanted the Nine Tails, and his chakra reserves will increase by a millionfold."

Kakashi nodded, and he pulled Taro away from Yondaime. "Come here, kiddo," he said.

Taro screamed and tried to pull himself away from the ANBU. Iruka dropped down by Taro's right side and said, "It's okay, he's not going to hurt you."

Yondaime turned around. "Come on, Taro, you want everyone to live, right?"

Taro stared at the blonde man. _If I do this, he'll take care of me. I'll get to live with someone, and I won't have to go back to the orphanage. _He sniffled and said, "Y-yes."

"Then lie down. Those two are going to hold you down, but be brave. They don't want to hurt you."

The little boy nodded and laid down on the rooftop. Yondaime pulled his calm blue gaze away from Taro as Iruka and Kakashi restrained him.

As he unrolled the scroll, he thought,_ I do not want my kin's blood to be wasted. This ritual will work. It must!_

Taro's blue eyes took in the scene before him. Iruka held him down on the right side, grimacing; Kakashi held him down on the left, saying reassuring words. Before him, Yondaime began the ceremony.

He fell into unconsciousness as a bright light appeared before his eyes. His head was suddenly full, and he felt as strong as a monster.

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	19. Chapter 19 ART PIECE

Folded Hands, Chapter Nineteen

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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This is not an actual chapter—I just made my first FOLDED HANDS art piece!

I've been having trouble posting the link here, SO GO TO MY PROFILE TO GET TO THE PAGE. IT'S AT DEVIANT ART AND FOR SOME REASON DOES NOT WANT ME TO LINK TO IT FROM MY STORY.

I'm having trouble finding it right now, but if you search the deviantart site for user jam2599 you should be able to find it.

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This is a scene from Chapter 10 (I think…too lazy to check) where Naruto gets into an argument with Haku after Sasuke tells him junk about Haku. Sasuke is not in the picture…I couldn't fit him in, and we all know that Naruto and Haku are more important to the story. You can also see Kakashi and Zabuza in the background, and a picture of Zabuza in the upper left corner as he watched Haku.

Also, the careful observer will note that I goofed on Naruto's robe. It's long-sleeved on the rightmost panel, and short-sleeved in the middle. Well, maybe he just rolled it up…

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If y'all like it (or, more like, if I want to) then I'll make more Folded Hands drawings. And yes, I drew this, it's not something someone made.

Also, I'm not all that great with coloring or shading, so if any of you, my wonderful readers, are good at…that…then please tell me, and I can e-mail you the lineart and you can color it. Then, I'll post your version on my deviant art thing and tell everyone how cool you are.

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Thanks for checking to see if I updated! I hope that you enjoy the picture, and please accept my coloring request if you are interested!

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	20. Chapter 20

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

A few more art pieces up. The link to my deviantart gallery is on my ffnet profile page. Among the new drawings are: Sakura dressed as a prostitute, Sasuke looking sleepy, and Zabuza backing Haku against a wall (Ch. 13). Please go see them, at least the ones of Sakura and Haku being backed up against a wall. They are Folded Hands Illustrations 2 and 4.

crazy yaoi fangirl—

Yeah, Yondaime is SUPPOSED to be dead, but I decided to change some things, since I've already changed Haku's past. Sasuke: brother didn't kill everyone (for a reason); Naruto: lives with Yondaime (so both he and Sasuke are a little more…normal…this story is about Haku, after all). Also, Yondaime is…well…let's just say that I like to be nice to characters sometimes.

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Haku's dinner was interrupted when he heard a loud voice shouting, "Ah-HAH!" from the doorway to the dining hall. He turned around to see Naruto huffing and stomping towards him.

"Hello, Naruto," he said with a smile, waiting for Naruto to do something entertaining.

Naruto shot glares at everyone sitting around Haku. As if their blank stares answered some question he'd been asking, he relaxed suddenly. "Hi, Haku! Has everyone been treating you well?"

Ino glared at the scarred ninja. "Why wouldn't we? Jeez."

Haku blinked. _Treating me well? Now that I think about it, no one's mistaken me for a girl, and no one has been rude to me since the bath…_ He lowered his head so that he couldn't look at Naruto. He wasn't sure of what to make of this. It was rather obvious that Naruto had spoken with at least some of the people sitting around him, and told them to be nice to him

"Well, that's good," the loudmouth said, breaking his chain of thought. Naruto forced a chair between Sasuke's and Haku's, and sat down between them. Sasuke made an obvious effort to move his chair farther away from Naruto before giving up and glaring at the person whose body heat he was being forced to share.

Oblivious to Sasuke's discomfort, Naruto put his right elbow on the table so that he could face Haku (and have his back to Sasuke) before continuing. "I heard that you're rooming with Sasuke now. I feel sorry for you. Back in the day, I had to share a room with him, but we always got in fights and stuff, so they let me move in with Yondaime and Sasuke's been alone ever since." He turned back towards Sasuke for a moment and pouted. "Poor little Sasuke, no friends at all."

"Tch." The black-haired boy fixed his glare away from Naruto, straight across the table, suddenly frightening Hinata as she attempted to sit down across from him. The pale-eyed girl immediately jumped up and said, "Sorry, Sasuke, I didn't know this seat was taken…"

As she stood, Kiba (who had ignored the situation from the start) took her place, and she sat down next to him. Shino sat across from her, to Sasuke's right. He nudged Sasuke's foot under the table and Sasuke muttered an apology to Hinata.

None of this escaped Haku's eyes. These people did, indeed, seem to be held together by strong bonds and relationships.

He realized that Naruto was talking again, and he pulled his gaze from over Naruto's shoulder to his face. "…and Kiba and Shino are rooming together, and Shikamaru and Chouji are rooming together. All the guys live in the rooms next to Sasuke's."

"If you ever need anything, just ask," Chouji added. "My mom sends me food all the time, and there's always enough to share."

"Thanks," Haku said. He wasn't sure if that was an actual promise, but Chouji seemed to be nice, and it was only polite to act the same way in return.

"I do feel sorry for you, though," Naruto repeated. "When I had to share a room with Sasuke, him and me got into so many fights that we rarely went two days without getting new bruises or cuts."

"You started most of those fights," Sasuke said. "I just finished them."

"What did you fight over?" Haku asked.

Sasuke held his hands up and tried to wave away Haku's concerns. "It was nothing, just kid stuff, like when he'd make fun of my clothing or when he wouldn't pick up his trash."

"Have you ever had a roommate, Haku?" Ino asked conversationally.

He bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to think of an answer for that. _Honesty is easiest…I'll just tell them a little. _"I lived at an orphanage when I was little, so I shared a room with three other kids."

Ino's blue eyes widened suddenly. Lost for words, she could only respond by saying, "Oh…sorry. Didn't know."

He smiled back at her. "It's nothing to be sad about. It's better to have roommates than to be alone anyway. I could always talk to them, and I liked that."

"Sasuke's not the talkative type," Naruto said. He pointed at his teammate over his shoulder, who was glaring into his back and wishing that he would 'shut the fuck up'. "He actually beat me up a few times because he thought I was too noisy."

Haku's eyes widened in surprise and he looked at Sasuke over Naruto's shoulder again. The Uchiha had spat out what he was drinking and turned on Naruto, pulling him into a headlock.

"This is WHY! Oh my god, you can't shut up about anything, can you, you retard?" He shouted as Naruto fought for air.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted as she stood up, looking over the table at the fight that had begun. Shino shook his head. "He'll live," he said behind his collar. Kiba munched his dinner contently and didn't say a word, so Hinata nervously sat down again.

Naruto had broken free by then, and he coughed, glared at Sasuke, and then turned back to face Haku. "See? Be careful around him. He has these buttons, and if you press them…"

Haku nodded. "I'll be careful," he said, smiling at Naruto.

"Don't listen to him," Sasuke said. "He's the only person who's stupid enough to mess with me anyway." With that, he took his dishes from the table and left before Naruto could make him out to be a bigger jerk.

Naruto sat down between Shino and Haku now, grinning as if he hadn't just fought for his life. "Anyway, after dinner, I'll show you around the temple, and Oh! You have to meet Yondaime, he's a great guy."

"Yondaime?"

Sakura interrupted. "He was our temple's last Hokage, the fourth Hokage. He lost the ability to perform ninjutsu a few years ago, but he still lives at the temple and he conducts some of the temple's affairs."

"You're so smart, Sakura!" Naruto said. "He's also my guardian these days."

_Guardian? What about his parents?_ Haku wondered. As if he had read his mind, Naruto blurted out, "I came from an orphanage too! I've never met my mom or dad, but I started living with Yondaime a few years ago, when I came here to train."

Out of the corner of his eye, Haku noticed that the others sitting at the table had fallen silent, and were all watching Naruto tell his story. "I came here when I was six, and then I started to live with Yondaime. This guy who was a teenager then, Iruka, kind of babysat me all the time because Yondaime was always busy. I'm older now, so it's just me and Yondaime now."

He smiled contentedly, and Haku wondered if he would smile the same way if he talked about his Master.

"Well," Naruto said, "I'm starving, so I'll get some food and I'll come back." With that, he left the table.

Haku began to eat again, and then he felt a sudden wave of paranoia take over. He turned in his chair and looked around for Sai, afraid that he would return to mock him in front of the other students, when his eyes landed on his Master.

The man was walking with Kakashi, and neither of them spoke as they crossed the dining hall and walked into a closed-off room. Haku kept his eyes on the door he'd seen his Master disappear through for a few minutes, then turned around and sighed.

_He didn't even look around to see if I was here._

"Hey, Haku," Ino said suddenly. Haku opened his eyes, realizing only then that he had closed them after turning back to the table, and waited for Ino to begin Round Two of her attempts to talk to him.

"What is it?" he asked, smiling softly.

She stared at him for a second before pointing at him and shouting, "I knew it! That's the same exact smile as Sai! Look, look at him!"

Haku stared at the finger in his face as the others sitting at the table snuck looks at Haku, pretending to not have seen what Ino had seen.

"It…looks a little similar…" Hinata agreed softly.

"It's rude to point, Ino," Chouji said under his breath. Ino immediately dropped her hand to the table and laughed.

"Sorry, Haku, I'm not trying to be mean, I just didn't know anyone else could smile all weird like that. I mean, I didn't know that someone else could look like Sai…er, I mean, not like you look like Sai, but when you smile like that…" She smiled and shut up.

"Don't talk about him," Shikamaru said. "He always shows up when you start talking about him."

A large thunk marked Naruto's reentrance as he practically dropped his plate onto the table, startling Haku. "Talking bad about me again, huh?" Naruto asked, sitting down with Haku again.

"No, it wasn't you," Haku said with a smile. Naruto smiled back, and the conversation was dropped.

"So," Ino said, trying for Round Three, "What's your teacher like?"

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Kakashi smiled at Kurenai and Asuma as he entered one of the dining hall's reserved rooms with Zabuza. "Yo," he said, pulling out a chair for himself at the table in the middle of the room. Zabuza did the same.

_I can get out of here soon, _he thought. _I'll just have dinner with their temple leader to be polite, then I'll say goodbye to Haku and leave._ He already felt trapped, or like he had fallen into a trap, as he sat down in the confined room.

Kurenai smiled at him. "Were you able to get any rest after your journey?"

"Enough," Zabuza ground out. He did not like small talk. Haku was much more pleasant to be around…he didn't like to talk about unnecessary things or ask unnecessary questions.

He thought about his slave and Zabuza realized that the last time he had shared living quarters with someone, or even worked with another person, had been more than seven years ago, when he'd left one of the Water Country's police stations for a life of freedom. He'd grown up in the Mist Village, where a thriving, well-trained police force gave many men the opportunity for a prosperous life. Whereas he had enjoyed the training, and a few of the missions, he had disliked working with the other officers, and taking orders from his superiors.

After spotting a poster one day for a man with a bounty on his head that rivaled Zabuza's yearly earnings, he had decided to change his career path.

But now, Momochi Zabuza was putting up with what a couple of teachers wanted. Why was he doing this? For Haku's training, of course. If he could keep a good relationship with these people, then Haku would be off his hands for a while. Zabuza liked the idea of picking up Haku, and finding him to be less of an annoyance and a hindrance.

_Even if he wants to train or grow for me, I don't want to get dragged down by him._

The Godaime Hokage entered the room then, followed by a woman with short brown hair who was carrying a small pig, and a man with shiny black hair. The brunette was trying to pull something away from Tsunade, whining about it being to early for sake, when the strange-looking man took notice of Zabuza's presence.

"A man from a foreign land!" he shouted energetically as he bounded up to Zabuza. The man held out his hand and said, "My name is Maito Gai, and I am one of the men of this temple!"

Zabuza stared at his hand.

"Oh!" Gai shouted. "I see that you are like My True Rival in more ways than one!" He pulled his hand back and struck a pose.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had pulled out the new volume of Come Come Paradise and started reading. Gai crooned and exclaimed, "So young and hip! But I think that you are younger than Kakashi, so if you stay here in Konoha, you can become my new rival!"

Zabuza looked at Kakashi, who shrugged. He chose to ignore the odd older man, and turned to the Hokage, who was playing 'keep away' with her assistant and an oversized bottle of sake.

"When are you going to start training Haku?" he asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gai strike another pose.

The blonde woman shot him a glance. "Huh?"

Once Tsunade's attention had been stolen, her secretary pulled the bottle of sake out of her grasp and fled the room, brining the pet pig and Gai with her. "Damn," the blonde woman said as she pulled out a chair and sat in it heavily. Zabuza could have sworn that he'd heard the wood in the chair's legs splinter. Tsunade sighed and turned to Zabuza.

"He'll start tomorrow, of course. I'll have Kakashi's team watch over him first, then Asuma's, then Kurenai's." As if an epiphany had struck her, Tsunade snapped her fingers, sat up, and started to dig around in one of the cabinets that lined the nearby wall.

Zabuza eyed the three teachers Tsunade had spoken of. "Do you need me to tell you about him?" he asked.

"Please do," Kurenai said. "We already heard from Kakashi that he might have a bloodline limit of some sort."

"Bloodline limit?" Zabuza asked. _That term again. _"I don't know about that, but he's new to life as a ninja. His only experience consists of the mission that you two know about already, and another one I had him help me with. He's knew to fighting, too, though he's used water to kill before."

"Water?" Kurenai asked.

"He can manipulate water freely, without hand seals or incantations."

Asuma's and Kurenai's eyes widened, and they exchanged a look.

"Well," Asuma said, "That doesn't sound like any Bloodline Limit I've heard of before, but my specialty is in hand-to-hand combat, even if my students all use clan-specific jutsu."

Kurenai shook her head. "I've never heard of it before, either. One of my kids has a Bloodline Limit, but it's not my job or my place to teach her how to use it."

Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "Then who's is it?"

"Well," she said, trying to speak carefully, "Hinata trains with her cousin, her father, and her little sister, all who share her Bloodline Limit."

"Sasuke also has a Bloodline Limit," Kakashi interjected from behind Come Come Paradise, "and his older brother is the one he trains with."

"So, if none of Haku's family is around, then he can't train his Bloodline Limit?" Zabuza asked. _If he does have a Bloodline Limit, anway._

Tsunade finally sat down at the table, holding up another oversized sake bottle that had been hidden behind old scrolls. As she opened the bottle, she asked, "Well, where is his family, anyway?"

Zabuza glared at her. _Prying bitch, _he thought. _Does she want me to spill his secret right here?_

"He's never told me, and I've never asked," he answered. Tsunade uncorked the bottle and flashed him an all-to-knowing grin. "Is that so?" she asked.

The Hokage took a quick drink, and shrugged. "I guess that we could look into it. I think that I've heard of a clan in the Water Country known for their speed and the ability to freely control water and ice. If need be, I could always send one of our ninja to investigate." She grinned at Zabuza. "Besides Haku's training, our temple could benefit from a larger library concerning foreign techniques and Bloodline Limits. They're too special to waste, you know."

Zabuza smirked behind his mask but said nothing. The only thing special about Haku was his attitude.

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Haku walked back to Sasuke's room drearily as Naruto bounded ahead of him. He had forgotten how tiring prolonged conversations with normal people could be.

"Come on!" the blonde young man shouted ahead of him, running back to Haku and rocking back and forth on his feet. "You have to meet Yondaime. You'll like him, he's great!"

Haku forced a smile and fought back his weariness. "Alright, Naruto," he said as he increased his pace. "What kind of person is he?" he asked conversationally.

It was actually quite soothing to listen to Naruto ramble on. "He's great! He's calm, and smart, and he's really strong, even if he can't perform ninjutsu anymore!" There was a hint of sadness on Naruto's face just then, and Haku did not fail to see it.

"Well, besides that, he likes a lot of the same things as me. He really likes ramen, and he likes goofing off at weird times, and he's even played video games with me before!"

They stopped at the next door, and Naruto pulled out a necklace from inside his shirt. Haku noticed that there was also a sapphire pendant on the necklace, and he was a little surprised to see Naruto wearing something so feminine.

As Naruto unlocked the door, he shouted, "Honey, I'm home!" and Haku deadpanned.

_Honey?_

"Don't shout," a soft voice called from one of the rooms in the apartment. Naruto kicked off his shoes and dragged Haku, who was by then only half-shod, towards the sound of the voice.

Haku removed his last shoe on the way (though Naruto seemed to not have noticed) and as he picked up his shoe, Naruto pulled him into a well-lit room where a man sat, hunched over at a desk.

As soon as Haku's eyes settled on Yondaime, he felt his breath catch in his chest. Naruto had told him that Yondaime was his guardian, but the man looked like an older version of Naruto. This impression was reinforced when the man turned around to greet him. Blue eyes, the same as Naruto's found his face as Naruto's guardian smiled at him.

"You're Haku, I presume?" the man asked. Haku was still speechless—he knew that it was rude to stare, but something in his brain kept saying, over and over, 'He's Naruto's father!' and he had to focus on arguing with that voice.

"Y-yes," he forced out. Yondaime smiled again, as if he knew what Haku was thinking, and he said, "I'm sorry that I don't have any tea out. I didn't know that Naruto would bring you here so soon, and I didn't prepare for a guest."

"I'll go do it!" Naruto shouted as he left the room. Yondaime tried to stop him for a moment, then stopped and smiled.

"Please go wait in the living room," he said. "I'll be out in a minute."

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Haku was impressed by the apartment that Naruto and his guardian lived in. The ceilings were high, just like the design of the Hokage's office, and this gave the living room a feeling of importance. He marveled for a moment at the fact that he was a slave, the slave of a normal man at that, and he was being served tea in this temple, where he would soon begin his training.

Naruto joined him shortly, running right up to the low table in their living room. He smiled at Haku and asked, "What did you think of him? He's great, huh? This one time we--"

The blonde ninja stumbled over Haku's dropped shoe and fell forward. Time seemed to slow suddenly for Haku, and he watched the teacups on Naruto's tray fall. Haku reached out and forced the spilling liquid back into each cup with a flick of his wrists, and then took the try from Naruto with his right hand as he righted Naruto with his left.

Time sped up again, and Naruto stared at his hands, then at Haku, and asked, "What just happened?"

"You're very fast, Haku," Yondaime said. Haku spun around to see the man standing in the hallway, looking at him, and he almost dropped the tray in his clumsiness.

Yondaime smiled at him. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Haku could only stare back.

_What **did** just happen?_ he wondered. Something in Yondaime's blue eyes told him that he knew more about Haku than Haku did himself.

The man joined his charge and Haku at the table and sat down across from Haku, next to Naruto.

"So, Haku," he began. Haku gently set down the train and sat down.

"What do you know about your family's history?"

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Zabuza stretched his arms as he made his way back to his room. The food he'd eaten had been more than decent—and a nice change from Haku's cooking—but he'd quickly grown tired of those people. The Hokage, who was a talkative alcoholic…Asuma and Kurenai, who just seemed to like to talk on and on…and Kakashi who was free to pull away into his own Come Come Paradise world.

Not only that, but he honestly didn't care about Haku's Bloodline Limit, or if he had one. That was a detail for the fire-nin to work out. He'd heard about strange clan abilities, but such abilities often involved either inbreeding or some sort of sacrifice to be tapped into, and Zabuza didn't want to associate Haku with either.

He found the public bathroom with little trouble, and he bathed and left for his room. As he crossed the last hallway, he saw a man who looked to be only a year or two younger than he was, with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck. The man looked strikingly similar to the black-haired kid who belonged to Kakashi.

_He might be that kid's brother…the one with the Bloodline Limit, _he thought. _Well, I'll leave that shit up to them._

Zabuza fell asleep rather easily that night, ready to pick up his life where he'd left it off when he found Haku.

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Haku sighed. He had finally been able to return to his—Sasuke's—their—room after speaking with Yondaime. He didn't know what the man had been trying to get at by asking about his family, and he hoped he wouldn't be plagued by any other questions of that nature.

He laid down on his bed, which had been cleared off between the time of his bath and then. Sasuke was out at the moment, and Haku wanted to fall asleep before he returned. He was afraid that it would be awkward to have to listen to Sasuke breathe as he fell asleep.

Haku wished that his Master had pulled him into his room, and had let him sleep with him that night. He wouldn't have the chance again for a month, and he was afraid that whatever had happened, whatever ground he had gained, would be lost if he was out of his Master's sight for a month.

As he fell asleep, he thought, _Please let me become stronger for him. I want to please him. I never want him to tire of me._

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Quick Quiz 7

Where is Sasuke? Not in a cereal box, that's for sure.


	21. Chapter 21

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-One

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Haku gasped as one of his Master's partrons pulled him into the bath with him. The attack had been unexpected, but he knew better than to fight against the customer. The man pulled his wet clothes from his body and then grabbed Haku's arm and turned him around in the water.

He kept his eyes closed at first, not wanting to watch this, hoping that he could dream of something else, displace his mind from his body, while this happened. Haku wasn't even sure of whether this man was a paying customer, or if he had obtained his Master's permission; he was too tired from the day's work to fight anymore.

A strong, wet hand touched his face, and he flinched involuntarily, wanting to pull back, wishing that he could say, 'You have no right!', but he knew better than that. He had learned better than that ages ago. It was he who did not own himself; he belonged to others, and that was the state his life would always be in.

The hand pulled away, and Haku waited for the man to touch his chest or stomach, or to force him to turn around again, to lean over the edge of the bath. He opened his eyes to see a man who had never come to the baths before…he was younger than the usual patrons…his hair was black, his eyes were black, his eyebrows had been shaved, and he was removing bandages from the lower half of his face.

Haku stared as the bandages were set to the side, and he did not fight as the man touched his face again, and pulled their bodies together. Something about the customer had set of alarms in his brain, and the touch had become electric and enticing. He shuddered as the customer wrapped his arms around Haku's body. They stood there like that, together in the water, until the customer brought one of his knees up between Haku's legs and Haku rubbed against his leg, shaking, his face burning red.

One of the man's hands tilted his face upwards and he found himself staring into those dark eyes, eyes that were hard and strong but free of cruelty. Against his better judgement, Haku placed his hands on the customer's chest and let them rest there as he continued to stare.

"Kid," the man said then. He brushed his hands over Haku's shoulders, then his back, and down over his ass, squeezing as he leaned down to whisper into Haku's ear.

"Do you want me to fuck you?"

Haku's heart began to thunder in his chest. His Master had never had this affect on him, not even those times that he had gone farther to try to arouse Haku for his own entertainment. Haku swallowed and, unable to look at the customer while he answered, whispered, "Yes," back.

The man pulled him up then, and Haku wrapped his legs around his waist. He rested his head against the man's chest, listening to his heartbeat, and he was moved closer to the edge of the bath where he was told to lie down. He complied, and his knees were pulled over the man's shoulders before his body was entered. His predator had fallen silent and still, but he had left Haku a shaky mess as he waited for his body to adjust. Haku's eyes found the man's again, and his black eyes bored down into's Haku's and he had to look away. This man seemed to see into him, and Haku was afraid of that. He didn't want to get caught feeling pleasure, or enjoying sex with one of his Master's customers.

The first thrust surprised him, and he closed his eyes and bit his lip to stifle his reaction. The position this customer had put him into was perfect, and he soon found himself crying and muttering his frustrations, asking to be let to come against the shame and the fear and the consequences.

"You want to come?" the man asked him. Haku's eyes opened in shock…he had hoped that his requests had gone ignored, or unnoticed. He was unable to hold back, and tears spilled out of his eyes against the sight of this man, this stranger, laying into him, and forcing him to feel things he had not felt in a long time, feelings he had kept from himself, desires and pleasures he had learned that he could never pursue.

"Yes!" he cried, his face and chest burning. "Please, I want to come!"

A dark smile overtook the man's lips, and he bent Haku's knees down to his chest as he changed his angle of attack. Haku nearly screamed as each thrust hit his prostate, and he fell into an incoherent state, unable to look away from his predator's face as he neared his climax.

"Please!" he shouted after an eternity of pleasure. "I can't stand it anymore! Please let me come!"

He was shocked to see the man's body tighten, and his assailant arched his back as he came. He pulled out of Haku quickly, and Haku stared at him, looking down at his erection and back up at the man.

The man smirked.

"Do you really think you deserve it, Haku?" he asked.

Haku stared at him, thinking of what he had done…nothing. He had received what the man wanted to give him. He had not been of any use, or any value. The result would have been the same if he had fought his assailant with all of his strength instead of spreading his legs and letting the man have his way with him.

"No," Haku said, averting his eyes.

The man pulled Haku back into the water by his wrists, then grabbed his chin and forced him to look and him. He shoved his face into Haku's and the young man froze in fear, unsure of what was to become of him.

"Do you think I'll ever let you come if you act like this?" the man growled at him. "Do you have any idea of how worthless you are? You're just good for a fuck! You are of no use to me, or anyone else."

Haku started to cry, and the man continued, his black eyes boring into Haku's. "I'll just get rid of you, and let other people have to put up with you. You're nothing to me, Haku. There is nothing that you can do for me. Do you understand how worthless and inadequate you are?"

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Haku sat up in bed, gasping for breath and covered in sweat. His Master's face was fresh in his mind, and he began to cry, unable to distinguish the events of his dream from his Master's feelings.

_I'm of no use to him. I'm weak. There's nothing I can do for him. He doesn't want me. He wants to get rid of me. The only pleasure he's ever taken from my presence, he felt when he fucked me, if he even enjoyed it. I don't please him, I can't please him, I'm not good enough nor will I ever be…_

He dried his face with his sleeve and looked around his dark room. He remembered waiting for Sasuke before he fell asleep, and he realized that he black-haired boy may have been in the room.

The sun had began to filter through the wooden blinds on Sasuke's window, and the rising sun provided enough light for Haku to determine that Sasuke was not in his bed, or anywhere in the room. Haku sighed in relief as he pulled his blanket off his body. His nightclothes were plastered onto his skin with sweat, and he quickly ripped them off and changed into one of the dark blue robes that the temple provided each male student with.

As he left the room in the pursuit of breakfast, he found Sasuke sitting outside the door, with his back to the hallway's wall and his arms wrapped around his knees. Haku stared at this odd sight for a few seconds and he realized by the fact that Sasuke was wearing the temple's nightclothes (and the fact that Sasuke's key lay only inches from his right foot) that Sasuke had been to their room at some point during the night and had left for some reason.

Realization overtook Haku. _Sasuke must have heard me during my dream…I must have awoken him during the night, and of course he wouldn't want to stay and listen…_

Haku felt ashamed and guilty. He was torn between waking the black-haired young man, and pretending that he had never noticed him there, when Sasuke made the decision for him by opening his eyes and registering Haku.

Haku's mind blanked, and he took a step back, nearly falling to the floor. Sasuke quickly looked away by rubbing his eyes, then yawned and looked back at Haku.

"Sorry," Sasuke said suddenly. "I took a walk last night and I didn't want to wake you up by going into the room." He smiled at Haku and Haku instantly knew that it was a lie.

He smiled back though, and said, "You should have come in, but thank you for your consideration."

Sasuke stood up carefully, his body still waking, and Haku took another step back. _How much of my dream did I act out while I was sleeping? How long did it go on for? And what did he hear?_

"I'm going to go take a bath," Sasuke said as he opened the door to their room. "I'll meet you in the dining hall in a little while, okay?"

Haku bowed politely and whispered, "Thank you," before Sasuke shut the door.

He turned and began to walk towards the dining hall, thankful that he had an understanding roommate, but hating himself for the poison running through his mind that had lead to such an awkward situation.

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The dining hall was mostly empty at that hour. Haku found Sakura sitting at one of the tables, and he joined her after she smiled at him and waved him over.

The pink-haired ninja was reading a book titled, 'Complications of Field Medicine and Emergency Treatment'. She set this book down, though, after Haku sat across from her, and she smiled again.

"Is Sasuke being a nice roommate, Haku?" she asked him.

He blanked for a moment, and replied through a soft smile, "Yes, he's very nice, I think. I fell asleep before he came to his room last night, and…" He thought for a moment. "And we didn't really talk this morning."

"Oh…?" she asked. "Well, I think that I saw him talking to Itachi late last night. Sasuke doesn't get to spend much time with his older brother, even when they're both off missions." Sakura sighed. "Kind of sad, huh?"

He nodded. "Itachi is Sasuke's brother, right?"

"Yeah. Around the village, Itachi is thought of as the second-greatest ninja, the first of course being Tsunade." She smiled as she proudly thought of her mentor, then added, "Some people say that Itachi might even be stronger than Tsunade, and he was even offered the position of Hokage about ten years ago, when he was only thirteen!"

"Wow…" Haku said. "Why would he be offered the position of Hokage while he was still a child?"

Sakura seemed taken aback. "I…well, about ten years ago…" Her green eyes flicked to the side for a moment, and Haku turned around and followed her gaze to see Naruto walking towards them.

Haku's question went unanswered as the blonde ninja shouted, "Hiya, Haku! Sasuke been treatin' you well?"

He pulled up a chair next to Haku and the water-nin smiled back at him, replying, "Yes, he has been treating me well."

Naruto frowned. "If he's ever mean to you, tell me and I'll kick his ass for you. Sasuke can be a stuck-up jackass sometimes…a lot of the time really…"

"Naruto!" Sakura reprimanded. "Don't talk about people behind their backs! Sasuke has a lot of pressure to deal with, and I think he's an awfully wonderful person considering what he has to put up with!"

"What does he have to put up with?" Haku asked, curious about his roommate.

Sakura began to count the points on her fingers. "One, everyone expects him to be as strong as his brother, a genius. Two, his parents always ignore him, especially when Itachi is around. Three, he has an idiot for a teammate--"

"I RESENT THAT!"

"—four, he doesn't really have many close friends." She sighed. "I mean, Naruto and I are his best friends, I think. Maybe Itachi is his best friend. It would be nice if he could share some of his burdens with someone who is more like him."

"There's no one like Sasuke," Naruto said. "I mean, he's a genius and all, but there are lots of different kinds of geniuses. If I was him, and Itachi was my older brother, I'd always be too intimidated by him to talk to him about stuff that bothered me."

Haku nodded. "It is hard, when you're the only person like you, and there's no one to talk to."

Naruto and Sakura fell quiet for a moment, and Haku added, "But, I don't think that he really needs someone just like him…just someone who can reach out to him…I mean, if he's like me…"

He bit his lip. _Don't be rude! You don't know Sasuke! Don't assume that he's like you!_

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Maybe…" She smiled. "I guess you're talking about Naruto, huh?" she asked.

Haku stared as he realized that Sakura was no longer talking about Sasuke's need to talk to others, but his own.

Naruto nodded. "I reach out to people all the time!" He took his chin in his hand in the visual representation of contemplation. "Maybe I can have a talk with Sasuke…"

"Please don't," Sakura said under her breath.

Clattering sounds began to emerge from the kitchen, and Naruto stood up, nearly knocking his chair over. "All right!" he shouted. "Breakfast time!"

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After breakfast, Haku followed Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke to the outside of the temple where five other students were stretching in preparation for the morning run. Sasuke had joined them partway through breakfast, and he had actually sat next to Haku to show him that he hadn't been disgusted by Haku. The water-nin still had not been able to make eye contact with Sasuke, but he hoped that his feelings of shame would soon go away.

"Hey Sakura!" the blonde girl, Ino, shouted as she stood next to the stretching Chouji. "Are you going to try to work off that extra weight today?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Sakura shouted back, stomping her way towards Ino. As the girls started to bicker, Haku looked over Ino's body for the first time and he realized that she was bone-thin.

"Hey Haku," Sasuke said. Haku forced himself to make eye contact with Sasuke, and he pulled his smiling mask onto his face. "Yes, Sasuke?" he asked softly.

"Who are you going to run with today?"

Eye contact was difficult to maintain, but Haku persevered. "I didn't think about it."

Sasuke nodded, acting completely relaxed. "We run five laps around the temple every morning, and the same people usually stick together." He pointed to the group of three students talking to each other near one of the trees outside the temple. "Kiba, Shino, and Hinata always run together. They've been like that for ages." He pointed to Ino and Chouji. "Chouji and Shikamaru used to walk the whole way together, but Ino's trying to make Chouji lose weight, so she makes him run with her. Shikamaru skips the morning run a lot of the time."

"And we always race each other, of course," Naruto butted in, pointed to himself, Sasuke, and Sakura, who was still speaking, rather loudly, with Ino. "I am proud to say that I am the fastest student here," Naruto added, folding his arms across his chest and looking like he was proud of himself.

Haku tuned Naruto out in favor of watching the sunrise. He wondered where his Master was, but he decided to look for him after the morning run.

Haku could only hope that his Master would not leave without saying goodbye to him.

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Zabuza awoke to the sounds of shouting in the hallway of the building he was staying in.

"Kakashi! Hatake Kakashi!"

It was that boisterous woman again, the Hokage. Zabuza sat up in bed and glared at the door to his room. The walls were thick, but not thick enough to cut down that woman's voice.

"Have you seen Kakashi?" the woman shouted at someone she found in the hall. She roared in frustration a few seconds later, and Zabuza could have sworn he'd heard a body fall to the floor outside his room.

He dressed quickly and left his room. If someone had been killed there recently, the body had been disposed of by that time, and Zabuza instead found the talkative female teacher the and rough male teacher walking outside of his room.

Asuma nodded to him. "Leaving today, huh?" he asked Zabuza.

The question was not welcome, but Zabuza decided to not convey that through words…rather, he glared. Being eyebrow-less allowed him to express himself without having his anger noticed, and this sometimes avoided conflicts that he didn't want to bother avoiding in a more normal, tactful way. "Yeah, I am." He ground out.

The red-eyed woman beside Asuma smiled. "You can bade farewell to Haku when you leave, then. He should be outside the temple for the morning run."

_Bade farewell? What time period is this woman from…_ "Sure." he said before turning and walking away.

What was this talk about leaving and saying farewell? Was that really the business of those people?

_I'll leave when I'm damn well ready, _he thought as he entered the dining hall. It was filled with children right then…small children. It seemed as though the older students were already training.

Zabuza ate quickly, glad that his face frightened away the more curious children who may have tried to talk to him, but his quick leave was thwarted when the ridiculous man from yesterday sat down across from him.

"Good Morning, Momochi Zabuza!" Maito Gai said as he began to eat breakfast. "It must be so easy for the Young to awaken at these early hours!"

Zabuza's glare failed him. This man was impermeable to it.

"Yeah." Zabuza grunted after Gai did not catch the 'fuck off' hints he was sending him.

Gai winked. "So, your student is staying with Sasuke now! Good Choice!" he said, giving Zabuza an inexplicable thumbs-up. "How is your student? Is he burning with Youthful Power?"

"Yes, it's horrifying," Zabuza said.

The man was impervious to angry sarcasm as well. "I remember the days when I watched over a team of teenagers burning with Youth!" he said, striking a pose. "But those days are over! My cute students Lee, Neji, and TenTen have outgrown me, and I now have a new team of Youthful Students!" With that, he stood and waved at three kids on the other side of the dining hall.

"Konohamaru! Udon! Moegi!" he shouted. "Come meet the foreign water-nin!"

Zabuza watched in horror as three of the children he'd NOT wanted to talk to walked over to the table and sat down. _Go. Away._

One of the kids, a boy with messy brown hair, stood in front of the other two, an asthamatic boy with glasses and a girl with red hair worn in pigtails. "Konohamaru," Gai said loudly, "This is Momochi Zabuza, a foreigner who is visiting Our Wonderful Temple!"

"Hi…" Konohamaru said lazily. He turned to his teacher. "Are we going on a mission today, Master Gai?"

"Ah!" the strange man shouted. "Yes, today we are going to the outskirts of the Fire Country--"

Gai paused when Zabuza stood up. "What is wrong, my Young Friend?"

"I need to say goodbye to Haku," Zabuza grunted.

"Oh!" Gai stood and saluted Zabuza in an odd fashion…another pose. "Be off, and enjoy your Burning Youth!" he shouted as Zabuza left the dining hall.

Once away from Crazy Guy, Zabuza found his room once more, packed his things, and prepared to leave the temple. He looked for Kakashi first, but the silver-haired teacher was nowhere to be found. As he gave up on his search, the same dark-haired Uchiha from the night before walked through the hallway crossing the hall Zabuza was walking down, and the other man's eye caught Zabuza and he stopped walking.

"Momochi Zabuza?" the man asked in a low, soft voice.

"Yeah?"

Carefully glancing down each hall on either side first, the dark-haired man walked up to Zabuza. "You're Haku's teacher, correct?"

"Yeah. What about it?" _Is everyone at this temple nosy?_

The other man studied his face for a moment, then said, "I see." His eyes strayed to the pack Zabuza was carrying. "I see that you're leaving today. The Hokage is busy at the moment, so I will tell her that you've gone."

Zabuza was a little taken aback, but he simply said, "Okay, thanks," and left Itachi standing in the hallway.

Itachi turned away from him and shook his head. _That man doesn't understand Haku's potential, does he? I don't want to see his Bloodline Limit wasted because his Master is so short-sighted. I've seen too much of that happen with Sasuke, and I won't let it happen again._

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Haku fell to the ground, clutching his chest, for the third time that morning. His heart hurt, his lungs burned, and all of his energy was gone.

It only made matters worse that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke insisted on stopping and waiting for him during every collapse. Because of this, all four of them had been lapped by the other two teams, twice.

Haku looked up to see Naruto standing over him, offering him a hand. He took it wordlessly and whispered, "I'm sorry about this. I don't want to drag you down."

Naruto just smiled back. "What are you talking about? We're a team! Right, guys?" he asked, turning to Sakura and Sasuke.

"Right!" Sakura chimed in politely. Haku wasn't sure if she had actually heard the question, from the speed of her response. Sasuke shrugged and said, "Yeah." before leaning back against a tree, closing his eyes during this rest period.

Haku sighed and looked around their resting place. The temple was surrounded by trees, and it provided decent shade against the sun. It seemed like the sun was stronger here than in the Water Country.

Once he had caught his breath, Haku began to walk again and he waved toward the others. "Let's go," he said softly.

They soon finished the fourth lap and, to Haku's surprise, his Master was standing at the temple gate. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were waiting for the others to finish, and it seemed as though Chouji and Ino had left a while before.

Haku walked up to this Master and waited for a command, order, or acknowledgement, as Zabuza spoke with the guard at the entrance.

"I'm not authorized to assign passwords," the guard said apologetically. "You'll have to talk to Godaime about that."

Zabuza glared at the guard. "I'm in a hurry." He sent a sideways glance at Haku, who shifted under his gaze as he remembered his dream from the night before.

Hinata, in an attempt to prevent any arguments, intervened. "Mr. Momochi," she said politely, "If you would like it, I can memorize your chakra circulatory system signature, and you can use that as a password."

"My WHAT?" he barked, turning to the pale-eyed young woman. Haku watched the exchange in silence.

Hinata took a step back, somewhat intimidated by Zabuza, but she explained. "Y-your body contains something c-c-called a ch-chakra circulatory s-system, and I can see it w-with my B-b-byakugan," she said nervously. "It's part of m-my Bloodline Limit, and i-if I look at your ch-chakra circulatory system, I can tell it apart f-from everyone else's and it can serve as your p-p-password."

Zabuza glared at her for a second, not sure of what to make of that, before he shouted up to the guard, "Will that work?"

"Yes," the guard replied. "Is that alright with you, Ms. Hyuuga?"

Hinata nodded before turning back to Zabuza. The blood vessels in and around her eyes suddenly dilated, and she studied his chakra signature for a moment before saying, "I have it m-memorized, Mr. Momochi. W-when you c-c-come back, I can tell the g-guards to let you in."

Zabuza nodded, and turned back to Haku. He didn't know what to say to him, but he figured that this goodbye wasn't really important, so he simply said, "Get stronger before I come back."

This seemed to surprise Haku a little, but he nodded. "Yes, Master Zabuza. I'll do my best."

His Master gave him a quick nod before leaving the temple grounds.

Naruto glared at his back as he left. "The nerve! He couldn't even say goodbye nicely!"

"Naruto, shut up," Sasuke warned him.

"It's okay," Haku said. "I'm really just glad that he bothered to find me to say goodbye." He smiled softly and turned away from Naruto.

"Let's finish the run, okay?"

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Naruto told Sakura and Sasuke to run ahead of them, and they complied after sharing a look. The blonde ninja would not have normally allowed that sort of thing—for Sakura and Sasuke to be alone together—but he needed to talk to Haku, alone.

He smiled at Haku. The water-nin was thoroughly winded but he was still trying his hardest, and Naruto liked that. If he had known the reason that Haku pushed himself, he would have become angry, but he was blissfully unaware that Haku was fighting against himself to try to satisfy his Master.

Haku kept his eyes down during the last lap. He was afraid of falling behind. He did not want the events of his dream to come true, or at least not the feelings. He did not want to be inadequate.

"So," Naruto said after a few minutes. Haku tore his eyes from the ground and looked at Naruto, too busy concentrating on his breathing to reply.

Naruto continued. "Haku, I know you got mad at me about this before, but I need to talk to you about Zabuza."

Haku narrowed his eyes and choked out a "Yes?"

"If he ever does anything bad to you, or even if he's mean to you, I can get that old-lady-Godaime to grant you sanctuary under the temple."

Haku was silent but for his panting for the next few minutes, and Naruto kept silent as well, letting the information sink in.

"I know you don't want that right now," Naruto said, "but maybe, sometime in the future."

"No," Haku said, but his reply was covered by his panting.

"Just so you know," Naruto said. He smiled at Haku. "Well, I want you to do whatever you want, but you have a home here now too, okay?"

Haku stopped running, and he bent over with his hands on his knees. Naruto stopped beside him, then dropped to the ground and turned onto his back so that he was lying in front of Haku, looking directly up into his face.

This surprised Haku, but Naruto just smiled and said, "Don't get pissed off at me again, okay? I just want to help you. You're my buddy now."

Haku continued to stare down at Naruto before standing up straight and walking away from him. Naruto scrambled off the ground and chased after Haku.

"Hey, hold up!" Naruto said. Haku stopped, then turned back and waited for him. "You're not pissed, are you?" he asked the water-nin.

Haku closed his eyes, then shook his head and looked away.

"You just did something really stupid-looking, and I was afraid of being seen with you right then." With that, the water-nin smiled at him. "Why are you always trying to help me, Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess it's because I like you."

Haku stared at him. "You…what?"

"No! Not like that! I mean, come on!" Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm not Sasuke, for God's sake. I mean, I guess that I like to watch out for people." He rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, youthful love."

Haku turned around to see Sai sitting in one of the trees surrounding the temple. The dark-haired ninja was sitting on one of the lower branches with a large sketchbook in his lap, and a paintbrush in one hand. He was dressed differently from the other students; he wore a midriff-bearing, black zip-up shirt with a long sleeve on the right side and a short sleeve on the left, black pants, and black gloves.

Naruto glared at Sai. "What love?"

Sai smiled at him and said, "Oh, nothing. After seeing that cute little display over there, I was wondering which of you is on top, that's all."

Haku's face burned. He did not want his sexuality to be suspect at the temple. There were enough things about him that separated him from the other students.

Naruto looked confused for a moment, and then he pointed at Sai and shouted, "Hah! Haku will always come out on top, no matter what he does!" He winked at Haku and Haku could only stare at him and wonder at his ability to evade insults.

Sai stared at him too, dumbfounded, but he recovered quickly. "It seems that some things are a little too advanced for you to understand, Uzumaki." He smiled at Haku. "Or maybe you need experience for that sort of thing to make sense. Anway," he said, standing up, "I've captured that beautiful little moment." He held up his sketchbook, and Haku saw that Sai had drawn him standing over Naruto. The drawing was incredibly lifelike and detailed.

Naruto now blushed, as if he had realized why Haku was uncomfortable with what he'd done earlier. "That's takin' it out of context! Besides, YOU must be gay to think that gay stuff was going on!"

Sai shrugged. "I don't think that's necessarily true." He smiled at Haku. "Well, I guess it's better to be a pansy than to not have a dick." With that, he took his leaves through the trees.

Haku fell to the ground, and Naruto ran to his side. "Are you okay, Haku?" he asked. Haku did not reply, so Naruto said, "Don't worry. Sai says stuff all the time and it's not always true. Like, he said that Ino's in love with Chouji and that Sasuke's older brother wants to screw him, and….uh…well, he said that I don't have a dick and I DO, so just don't worry about him." He offered Haku a hand, but Haku was still far gone.

_He's going to tell the others. It seems like Naruto hasn't realized that I'm a homosexual yet, either…I've been hiding what I did with Master, and that's the only evidence, so it makes sense that he doesn't know…maybe no one will believe him._

He shook himself, then took Naruto's hand and let him help him to stand. As he brushed his clothes off, Naruto smiled at him.

"Let's get going, okay? I don't care, I'll carry you the rest of the way." Naruto sighed. "I bet that Sakura and Sasuke are getting worried…."

"Sorry, Naruto."

Naruto hit his forehead. "Um, not because of you! Because we got held up by Sai! He's a mean bastard, huh?"

They started to walk back to the temple.

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After their last lap, Naruto and Haku found Umino Iruka waiting at the entrance to the temple. The man seemed to be fuming, and Haku remembered him as the frustrated man from the other day.

_I wonder if he's waiting for us…_

He seemed to snap upon seeing the blonde ninja. "Naruto! Where have you been?" he shouted.

Naruto covered his eyes. "Ah! Iruka, you're so loud!"

Iruka didn't let up. "Were you screwing around and wasting time? It's almost lunch already, and the new student was supposed to be back here an hour ago to start training!"

Haku's eyes widened, but as he was about to apologize to the angry man, Iruka's attention turned to him and his anger turned to professionalism. "Hello, Haku," the dark-skinned man said. "I saw you the other day, but we weren't able to meet properly at the time." He extended a hand to Haku. "My name is Umino Iruka, and I'm responsible for teaching the students here at the temple before they're sorted into three-man teams." Haku took his hand, and the man's grip was strong, almost to the point of pain. "If you ever need anything, you can ask me." He smiled.

"Thank you," Haku said.

The man took a step back and folded his arms. "Now, since you two are late, it would be better for you to just hurry off to lunch. Naruto, don't waste Haku's time; he has a lot to do in a short amount of time."

Naruto scoffed. "Me, waste his time?"

"Yes, I can imagine it very easily." Iruka turned to Haku. "I've been informed that you're still new to the basics, but you can probably learn those things on your own. I dropped a few books off at Sasuke's room, and you have my permission to ask Naruto to help you learn anything like that. I was his teacher before, so I know that he's learned the topics well enough."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted angrily. "When I was a genin, I still thought that chakra was called catra! Some teacher you are!"

Haku was once again amazed at the relationship Naruto seemed to develop with every authority figure in his life when Iruka suddenly grabbed Naruto's left ear and pulled, hard.

"OuchouchouchouchouchouchOuch!"

Iruka smirked. "Naruto, think carefully when you speak to your elders. Take the blame for your own faults." He released Naruto and smiled at Haku, who was now very much afraid of the darker man's temper.

"Anyway, this kid knows enough about chakra control now to help you. In fact, you can ask any other chuunin besides Naruto, and I'll have a talk with them if they don't help you."

"Th-thank you," Haku said.

"Don't sweat it, kid!" Iruka said. "Now, run along."

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Zabuza stared down the long road ahead of him. It would only take about half a day to return to the Water Country. He had already packed up all of his belongings and had left his house in Miyuki for good, so he was now free to live wherever he wanted.

The summer months were coming, so he decided to head north for a while.

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Itachi looked through Konoha Temple's Bloodline Limit and Clan Specialty library. There were many volumes on the Uchiha clan; Yondaime had requested years ago that all the clans' records of Bloodline Limits be consolidated and stored in the temple for safekeeping, and his request had been met after the NineTails attack. Itachi had once found an interested ability specific to his clan in the records, but he had been disappointed to find the sacrifice needed to awaken the ability. It had not been one he had been willing to make.

Today, though, he was looking for another set of records.

"Speed…water manipulation…" he muttered as he looked over the clan records. There were volumes upon volumes dedicated to the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans, the pride of Konoha; a few shelves for the Inuzuka, Aburame, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans; a few shelves for the smaller, lesser-known, or dead clans; and a few books containing miscellaneous clan information.

He soon found what he had been looking for in one of the 'odd' books, and he began to read the first entry.

"The Yukitori clan, native to the Water Country. Little is known about them, but their defining characteristics are sickness during childhood and violence during adulthood, as well as their remarkable speed and the absence of clearly-defined jutsu amongst clan members."

Itachi flipped through the book. The book was small, but it was still only half-full. He found information regarding the clan's general whereabouts, and he began to prepare his next report for Tsunade.

The clock in the library chimed, and Itachi realized that it was lunch time. He doubted that he would have another chance to sneak in some time with Sasuke that day, so he pocketed the book and ran to the temple's dining hall.

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Notes: 100 reviews! Thank you, everyone!

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	22. Chapter 22

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Two

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

I've drawn more fanart. Please go to my profile page, then to my deviantart page from the link.

"ANBU Naruto 2" in is particular mother-fuckin' awesome.

Also, as a blanket response to some reviews…some mistakes were found; some things were changed; some things were explained. Nothing big, though.

One last thing, because I'm not sure if it was clear. The original "rookie nine" are all Chuunin in this story. Gai's old students are Jounin (and are in ANBU). Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon are Gennin under Gai (they're with Ebisu in the manga but I like Gai more). Iruka is still a Chuunin, Kakashi is a Jounin, and all of that.

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Haku nearly collapsed at lunch. Naruto took in his condition, and quickly told him, "I'll bring your lunch to you," before running off to join the lunch line.

Haku set his head down on the table, exhausted from the morning run. The dining hall had grown noisy, and several of the Chuunin-level students had entered by then.

Sakura pushed past Team Ten on her way into the dining hall, then spotted Haku and sat down with him. "Did everything go okay?" she asked. "Sasuke and I started to worry when you two didn't come back."

He sat up and nodded weakly. "Naruto and I ran into Sai."

"Oh…" She looked away for a moment, then smiled at him. "Well, after lunch, we're going to break up into our three-man teams—or, I guess we're a four-man team with you—and practice together, so you can probably rest then." Sakura looked around for a moment, and, with her brow furrowed, asked, "Where's Naruto?"

Haku shrugged. "I think he's getting food."

Ino sat down next to Sakura then, and the blonde girl butted into their conversation. "Man, Shikamaru is such a downer! I can't believe he skipped out on running again!"

The man himself sat down next to Haku, glaring at his female teammate. "Why wouldn't I? It's turned into such a love fest recently."

Ino blushed. "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it anymore." Haku heard him grumble something about the birds and the bees and Yamanaka and Akimichi and Uchiha and Haruno.

"Hey!" Sakura shouted, blushing furiously after hearing Shikamaru's mumblings. "That's not true!"

The lazy chuunin's eyes narrowed. "You two ran together today, without the waste of space. That NEVER happens. He always follows you two around whenever you're alone for a second."

"Seriously! That was NOT what was happening!" Sakura insisted, now angry rather than embarrassed. "It's normal for teammates to be together!"

"Actually, Naruto was--"

As Haku tried to explain the situation to Shikamaru, he slammed his hands down on the stable and stood up. "I don't feel like eating," was the last thing he said before he left his fellow Chuunin sitting at the dining table, staring at him with their mouths agape.

"Uh…" Sakura tried.

"Did something happen?" Haku asked Ino.

The blonde ninja shrugged. "He's been like this for a while now. He always gets…pissy…well, more than usual…when he sees guys and girls alone together." She stared into space for a moment, and added, "I don't know why, though."

Naruto rejoined them, brining Chouji with him. Ino quickly indicated the seat next to her for Chouji, and Naruto sat down across from Haku, passing a plate of food to him.

"Hope this stuff's okay," the scarred ninja said before digging into his own plate. "Godaime-granny's still serving the good stuff."

"Yeah," Chouji agreed, "Time to eat up!"

As if an alarm in her head had been triggered, Ino's head and attention snapped towards Chouji, and she started to pull plates off his tray.

"Ino!" he whispered, "What are you doing?"

Haku watched in amusement as Ino glared at Chouji. "I'm making sure you don't get any fatter, fatass."

"That's not nice!"

"It's not healthy, either!"

Haku glanced at Ino's arm as she reached across the few items she'd already pulled from Chouji's tray to take a few more away from the whining young man. He noticed, once again, that Ino was bone-thin. If Chouji was unhealthy, Ino was more so.

A smile broke across his face as he watched Ino try to stuff her face to keep Chouji from eating the dessert she'd stolen from him. Chouji stared at her in shock before grumbling and eating what she'd left him.

"Bleh!" Ino shouted after a few bites. She glared at the cheesecake in front of her. "How can you EAT this, Chouji? It's so fatty. It feels like FAT in my mouth."

"Ah, quit your bitchin'," Naruto said. He shoveled more food into his mouth, and, glaring at Ino, he said, "If you take it from him and you eat it, then how can you complain?"

"Don't talk with your mouth open," Sasuke reprimanded him as he sat down next to Naruto. Not heeding his advice, Naruto turned to him and shouted, "Whey vuh hell hab vu bin?"

Sasuke gave him a confused look, then turned to his own tray of food. As a result of Sasuke's presence, Ino started to take smaller, neater bites, and Sakura blushed, probably thinking about what Shikamaru had said before he'd left in a huff.

Haku frowned as the other students fell silent and at without comment. He tried to piece together the status of the relationships at the temple. _It seems that Sakura likes Sasuke…I'm almost certain. And does Shikamaru like Ino? He gets angry when she's with Chouji…or maybe that's not it…_

All activity at the table stilled when Uchiha Itachi sat down across from his little brother. Haku was instantly awed by the older man, though he wasn't sure of why. There was something about Itachi, a strong, calm, presence that demanded respect. He noticed that the others sitting with him were all staring at Itachi, all for Sasuke, who tried to ignore his brother's presence or to act as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

"How is training, little brother?" Itachi asked. Chouji started to eat again carefully, and the others joined him, still watching Itachi and Sasuke and pretending not to.

Sasuke shrugged. "Same as usual."

Haku froze when Itachi turned towards him. "You're the new student, aren't you?"

The water-nin nodded nervously before answering, "Yes."

Itachi smiled, though only for a moment, and he said, "I'm Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. I have some time off, so I'll help you train today with the other kids."

Sasuke glared at Itachi then, instantly breaking the mood. "Kids? KIDS? I'm seventeen!"

Itachi closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes, you're still very young, foolish little brother."

"What is THAT supposed to mean?" Sasuke crossed his arms and tried to harden his glare when Itachi turned towards him. "Why do you always talk down to me?"

The Uchiha prodigy shrugged, and began to drink the tea he'd brought to the table. "It's the natural flow of things, little brother. Like the hierarchy of our temple, and the government of the village. Those with more power are allowed to treat those with less power in any way they choose. That is the nature of power."

Haku watched in amusement as the brothers continued to argue, and it was obvious that they thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and that they were trying to make the most of the limited time they had together. Something about Itachi's words had settled into his brain, though, and he wasn't sure of what it was right then, but it wouldn't leave him alone.

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"Stop blowing so hard."

"Eh? Come on, blowing is what it's all about!"

"Only for people who can't do it correctly."

Haku looked to the side as Sasuke tried to teach Naruto how to use Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. The younger Uchiha sat on a rock near the lake in the center of the temple, a look of extreme boredom on his face, as Naruto stood on a small pier that protruded into the lake, trying time and time again to perform the technique Sasuke had shown him.

"Entertaining?" Itachi asked him.

Haku quickly remembered where he was and what he was doing and he faced Itachi again, bowing quickly and offering an apology. "I'm sorry for looking away."

He saw that Itachi was watching his brother try to teach Naruto with a smile on his face. "It's alright. They're both loud and distracting, so it's not really your fault." Itachi looked back at him, then smiled ever so slightly.

"Are you ready to begin again, Haku?"

He nodded, and once again took up the battle stance that was particular to the Uchiha clan's fighting style.

Sunset was nearing, and the sky was burning with color. Haku absently noted that the sunsets in the Fire Country looked far different from those in the Water Country, when Itachi attacked him. Using what Itachi had taught him, he caught the older man's fist and used it as leverage for his body, as he had seen Sasuke do when Sasuke had demonstrated the fighting style earlier with Itachi. His upper body was still rather weak, though, and his shoulder gave out before he had carried out the second strike of the taijutsu sequence.

Haku fell to the ground and grabbed his arm, rubbing his shoulder. He realized with relief that he hadn't dislocated his shoulder, and he stood up again to find that Itachi had already re-entered the battle stance and was waiting for him.

The water-nin stood again, and he also re-entered the stance.

Sakura was off somewhere, training with a man named Kabuto whom Haku had not yet met. Haku listened to Sasuke curse at Naruto behind his back, and he found himself thinking, _for Sasuke's cursing and Itachi's coldness, they are both rather kind teachers._

Itachi struck, attempting to punch Haku in the same way that he'd done it the last forty times, and Haku managed to make it to the third strike in the set before falling. He stared at the sunset for a few seconds before Itachi sat down on the grass next to him.

"Sasuke learned this combination when he was eleven years old," Itachi said suddenly, breaking the silence that had been held between them.

"Really?" Haku asked as he grasped a deeper understanding of his lack of experience.

The older Uchiha nodded. "I taught him myself. My father taught the sequence to me when I was seven years old." He laughed softly. "I was so short back then…it was almost ridiculous when my mother showed my old footage of my father training me."

Itachi's eyes found his little brother, who was scowling at Naruto as the scarred ninja now tried to parody the Fireball technique instead of executing it. "Sasuke wasn't much taller when he was eleven, though, since I was the one that taught him, he was able to learn how to use the move against someone his own size."

Haku sat up, and, out of politeness, asked, "Why did you teach Sasuke, and not your father?"

The smile left the black-haired man's face. "I was a prodigy; Sasuke was not. Our father did not want to be bothered with Sasuke."

Haku flinched as he watched Sasuke hit Naruto on the top of his head, and Naruto crumpled to the ground, holding his head in his hands as Sasuke stood over him and said something that Haku expected to be an insult.

"Sasuke's not a prodigy?" he asked Itachi. "He seems to have so much talent."

"He DOES," Itachi said, emphasizing his words. His voice and attitude changed for a moment; Itachi then calmed himself and sighed. "If it were not for me, our parents would have seen Sasuke's potential." He bit his lip and stood.

"That's enough rest," Itachi said, and Haku stood up silently, wondering what he had done to upset him.

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Haku nervously stepped into the public bathroom. There were no sounds, but he now knew better than to assume that that meant that he would be able to take a bath uninterrupted.

He slowly walked into the bathing area and found it, miraculously, unoccupied. Sighing, he changed out of his dirty clothes and dropped them into the bin where all of the students put their dirty clothing. Haku wrapped a towel around his waist and re-entered the bathing area.

As he settled into the water, he heard voices from outside the door, and his body stiffened. Surely enough, Naruto, Kiba, Chouji, Shino, and Shikamaru poured into the bathing area, and Haku was afraid that his heart would explode.

"Hi, Haku!" Naruto said casually, waving at him. Haku resisted the urge to hide, or to at least hide his face, as the others walked past him into the changing area. "Keeping the water warm for us?" Naruto asked.

Haku nodded weakly, not quite sure of what this question meant.

After cleaning up, the five other male students joined him, all talking loudly. Haku could not hear him, though; he had found a pleasant spot in the corner of the room to stare at as the other students joined him in the bath, nude.

_I'm not here. I'm not here. I'm not here._

He stared in horror as Naruto sat down next to him, putting his arms over the sides of the bath and relaxing. "Good temperature, huh?"

"…sure."

Shikamaru seemed to catch Haku out of the corner of his eye, and he made a mental note of talking to Naruto some time later about Haku and baths. It was already peculiar enough that Haku was the only guy in the bath with a towel around his lower body, not to mention the only guy who shaved.

Sasuke entered the bathing area, and he quickly covered his eyes with his hands. "This had GOT to be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," he said as he walked past the others and into the changing area.

Haku agreed…well, not disgusting, but it WAS the most uncomfortable situation he'd been in, in quite a while.

"Sasuke's so WEIRD," Kiba said out of nowhere. "He doesn't even act like a normal guy anymore."

"Yeah," Naruto said, sitting up and opening his eyes. "The other day, I saw him--" He waved for the others to come closer to him, and they did, and Haku cringed.

"I saw him PAINTING HIS NAILS." Naruto whispered, though he whispered it rather loudly.

"Don't talk about other people behind their backs!" Chouji reprimanded him.

"Whoah!" Kiba said. "How's that for--" He fell silent as Sasuke reentered the bathing area. Haku once again stared at his beloved corner as Sasuke stepped into the water. The little congregation broke up, and Haku tried not to sigh in relief.

"Hey, Sasuke, nice towel," Naruto said, breaking the tense silence.

Sasuke sneered at him, and Haku noticed that Sasuke had also entered the bath with a towel around his waist. "I don't get my kicks from exposing myself to other guys, unlike you, Uzumaki."

Naruto stood up and pointed at him, shouting, "Hey! That's not what it's about! Public nudity is MANLY!" Shino and the others nodded. "It's about CONFIDENCE!" Shikamaru shook his head and whispered, "Shut up."

The blonde ninja simply continued to glare down his teammate, and then he smiled and said, "It's about THE WAY OF THE NINJA."

Haku blinked at Naruto. "…what?"

Naruto nodded. "Ninjas have to be able to survive under INTENSE conditions. What if you don't have any clothes, Sasuke?"

"I'd steal some."

"You THIEF."

"Why wouldn't I have any clothes anyway?"

Haku smiled. "Maybe your enemy was using a clothing-removal jutsu?"

Somewhat surprised that Haku had joined the conversation, but not surprised that he'd joined in on Naruto's side, Sasuke looked at Haku, and he smiled. "But you're wearing a towel, too."

The smile left Haku's face, and he looked away. "I guess I fail too, then."

Seeing that the silly argument had gone in the wrong direction, Naruto waved his hands in the air and caught the group's attention again. "It's not about failing or…winning? What's the opposite of failing?"

"Passing," Shikamaru offered.

"Passing! That's it!" Naruto beamed. "It's not about passing or failing! It's about being a man!"

As he stood to say that, the door to the bathing area opened and every smile in the room fell as Sai walked in. His eyes fell to Naruto's lower regions and they stared at each other for a moment, Naruto in shock or apprehension, and Sai in amusement.

"Well," Sai said finally, "even if you do have a dick, it's not really much to look at."

Not wanting to admit any kind of defeat to Sai, Naruto folded his arms and did not cover himself. "Do you think you could do better, Sai?"

Haku looked around the bath and he saw the others staring at the two—in curiosity, or fascination?—and he found himself wondering what would happen.

Sai shrugged. "I don't need to prove my masculinity."

"With those clothes, you do," Sasuke said as he stood with his back to Sai.

Sai's smile faltered and he stared at the back of Sasuke's head for a moment.

"Well, then," he said, "how about we just go at it?"

Haku flinched—he didn't know what Sai meant, but if it involved the bath, he didn't want to be around for it.

"Sure!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Sai. "Anytime you want to fight, we're ready!"

"Er…leave me out," Chouji said.

"Too troublesome." Shikamaru replied.

"…" was Shino's response.

"No thanks, Naruto." Kiba said nervously.

Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but Naruto cut him off. "It's good to see you have my back, Sasuke!" he said loudly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and gave up.

Sai knelt next to Sasuke at the edge of the bath. "He has your back? Or he's behind you?" He smiled at Naruto. "Forgive me; I'm a little rusty when it comes to gay sex terminology."

Sai's eyes then found Haku, and the water-nin could only stare back.

_Naruto said that Sai always says things that aren't true…maybe everyone will just brush his comments about me off like that._

Not taking his eyes away from Haku, Sai asked, "Is that what it's called, Haku? Do you say that one guy is behind another guy when he's screwing his ass?"

Haku's eyes widened, and Naruto stepped in front of Haku in the bath, as if this would allow him to shelter Haku from Sai's comments. "Look, he just got here, you don't have any reason to make fun of him!" he shouted, glaring at the artist-nin.

Sai stood up and sighed. "It's too noisy all of a sudden…maybe someone let a mosquito in. I'll come back later." He smiled at Haku one last time, and left.

An errant bar of soap struck the door as Sai shut it, and Haku retraced its flight path to see that Kiba had sent it airborne. "Jackass," he said.

"Don't listen to him," Chouji said to Haku. He had been told that many times, but each time, it seemed more and more difficult to do.

Shaking, Haku stepped out of the bath. He needed to get away from there; he did not want Sai to return before he left.

Naruto's eyes caught his movement, and the scarred ninja called out, "Haku? Where are you going?"

The water-nin turned around quickly and his towel dripped water onto the tiled floor of the bathing area. "I've been here long enough," he said softly, smiling at Naruto.

Naruto settled back down, but added, "Don't just get out because of Sai. Stay longer if you want."

He shook his head. "I'm really done," he said before returning to the changing area and dressing for the night.

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As he tried to fall asleep, Haku heard a knock on his door. He quickly stood and opened the door to find Sakura standing in the hallway.

He smiled at her, and said, "I'm sorry, Sasuke isn't here right now."

Sakura tilted her head to the side. "I know he's not! He's in the dining hall." She entered the room then, looking around curiously as Haku shut the door.

"I've never been in Sasuke's room before," Sakura admitted as she looked over Sasuke's side of the room. "He's really neat, isn't he?"

"I guess," Haku said, sitting down on his bed again. He found one of the books he'd been told to study and opened it.

Sakura turned to face him, and he looked up. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

She watched his face for a moment, then smiled politely. "I wanted you to come eat dinner with us."

"I don't feel hungry," he lied.

To Haku's surprise, Sakura sat down next to him on his bed, and she sighed. "I've heard Ino say that enough times when she didn't mean it that I know how it sounds when someone is lying about needing to it," she said. "Naruto told me about Sai. Are you not coming to dinner because he embarrassed you?"

Haku set down his book and tried to smile back. "Of course not, Sakura. I just wanted to be by myself for a while."

"Too bad!" she said. Sakura stood up suddenly and grabbed his arm. "You're coming to dinner!" She looked him over for a second. "Maybe you should change first," she said, indicating his nightclothes.

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Ten minutes later, Sakura dragged him into the dining hall, and the others made a place for him to sit. He found himself between Naruto and Hinata, and Sakura sat down between Ino and Sasuke.

Haku listened quietly to the others' conversations, and he found, as had happened almost every other previous time that he had visited the dining hall, that one of the other students brought food for him. Naruto began to whisper about something.

"Don't be cruel to other people," Chouji said as he took another bite of the roll he was eating.

"Yeah," Ino agreed. "You're totally going to hell, Naruto."

Shikamaru smirked. "I'm in."

Sasuke glared at his teammate when Naruto looked at him. "Are you insane? Do you know how much shit I'd catch back home if I got caught?"

Naruto turned to the students sitting on Haku's other side, and he asked, "How about you guys? Huh? Wanna tag Godaime-granny's place?"

"Tag?" Haku asked in confusion.

Hinata blushed from the attention she was receiving from Naruto, but she shook her head. "I c-couldn't, Naruto. If I-I got c-caught--"

"That's okay, Hinata," Naruto said, and Haku felt Hinata nearly faint on his other side. "I didn't really expect any girls to go."

"I'm there," Kiba said, reaching across the table to hit his knuckles against Naruto's.

Shino shook his head. "It won't be good for me, either. The insects need their sleep."

"Tag?" Haku asked again, his brow furrowed.

As if he had just noticed Haku right then, Naruto's eyes widened and a mischeivious smile lit up his face.

"Well, my friend," he said, putting a hand on Haku's shoulder, "you see, there's going to be a little party next week, and you're invited…"

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Haku and Sasuke walked back to their room after dinner, and Haku found Sasuke's eyes on him. He looked away at first, unsure of why Sasuke was looking at him, but the Uchiha finally asked him, "So what did you say?"

"To Naruto?"

Sasuke nodded.

Haku sighed. "I said yes."

"Don't let him pressure you."

"Well…" Haku looked away, then continued. "I've never done anything like 'tagging' before, and it sounds like fun."

Sasuke smiled. "You want to try what you can while you're here, huh?"

Haku's eyes widened, and Sasuke laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I just mean, because you may not get the opportunity again, it makes the risk worth it."

Haku looked away and smiled. "Yes, in a way. My Master would never let me do that."

To dispel any unease, Sasuke quickly said, "I didn't think he would."

The Uchiha pulled out the key to his room, and he unlocked the door, letting them both in. Sasuke pulled a set of nightclothes from his chest of drawers, and said, "I'm going to the bathroom to change. I'll be back in a little while."

Feeling a little guilty for giving Sasuke a reason to leave, Haku nodded and said, "I should be changed soon."

Once Sasuke had left, Haku quickly pulled off the second set of day clothes that he had worn that day, and changed back into the nightclothes he'd worn when Sakura had dragged him out of the room. Still alone, he sat down on his bed and reopened the book he'd started reading earlier.

He fell asleep with his book on his chest, and Sasuke found him like that two hours later, when he returned from his 'short' run to the bathroom which had been extended when he had run into Itachi in the hall. The Uchiha pulled the book away from him, placed a bookmark on the page Haku had been reading, and set the closed book on the desk they shared. He unfolded the blanket at the end of Haku's bed and laid it over him gently, careful not to awaken the water-nin, before turning off the light in their room and falling asleep.

Sasuke grinned as he tried to fall asleep. He remembered one night when Itachi had found him asleep during a study session, and had tucked him into his bed. He had not been asleep, and he had pretended to sleep to see if he could trick his older brother.

He would never know that Itachi had known that he was awake, but had taken care of him anyway.

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When Haku opened his eyes, he was back at the lake with his Master, back in the Water Country. His Master motioned for him to come at him, and he did. He caught his Master's fist when he tried to defend himself, and he executed the Uchiha clan Taijutsu Combination Alpha, just as Sasuke and Itachi had demonstrated. He jumped away from his Master's body then, proud of himself.

He watched as his Master stood slowly, and took up the stance again.

"That's not nearly enough, Haku. Good, but not nearly enough."

Haku nodded. "I will learn more, Master, to please you."

His Master nodded, and then he said the most peculiar thing.

"The difference between us will never be resolved. No matter how strong you are, I will be stronger."

"Yes, Master."

"No matter what you learn, my techniques will be better."

"Yes, Master."

"You are my property; your body is mine."

"Yes, Master." Haku said. He was beginning to worry. He did not know why his Master would feel the need to reinforce his point so many times.

"I have power over you, so I am allowed to treat you in any way I choose. That is the nature of power."

Haku dropped his stance, and he nodded in defeat, keeping his arms at his sides. "Of course, Master."

"But Haku," his Master said, still so far away from him, not making any move to close the distance. "That is only because you allow me it."

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Haku awoke then, not as he had the other night—not sweaty, and certainly not aroused—but in a state of confusion. He sat up quickly, and he found that Sasuke had entered their room and that he was sleeping in the bed beside him, still but for his breathing. The book he'd been reading was gone, and his body had been covered with a blanket. He looked at Sasuke for a moment, and his roommate started to say something in his sleep. The Uchiha turned over then, and fell silent.

He had suddenly forgotten his dream, but he knew that his Master was in it, so he lay awake until morning, trying desperately to recall the face and words of the man he treasured.

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	23. Chapter 23

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Three

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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After an exhausting morning run and a quick breakfast, Haku, Sakura, and Naruto returned to the training grounds. Sasuke ran off again, though Haku didn't know where to, and his teammates let him leave without any questions.

Haku was surprised to see Itachi waiting where they had trained the day before. The older man glared when he saw the three of them, and asked with a scowl, "Where's Sasuke?"

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Don't know, don't care."

"He didn't go to see you?" Sakura asked curiously.

Itachi sighed and put one hand to his forehead. "I told him to meet me here. He must have thought I said 'meet back home' or something…"

"I knew what you said."

They turned to see Sasuke standing a few feet behind Itachi, and Haku was surprised that he hadn't seen him there before. Itachi stared at his brother for a moment before glaring at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked Sasuke.

Sasuke pouted, then folded his arms and walked up to Itachi. "That's not a very nice way to talk to your dear little brother, Itachi."

Haku watched the scene in confusion. The dynamics of their relationship seemed to have changed since the previous day.

"Get out of here," Itachi said in an irritated voice.

His little brother pouted again. "But I wanted to see you so badly!"

Naruto exchanged a look with Sakura. She shook her head and held out a hand as if to say 'don't do anything'.

"What do you want?" Itachi spat.

Haku stared as Sasuke walked right up to Itachi, put his hands on his chest, and whispered in his ear, "Fuck me, 'tachi."

Naruto's eyes shot wide open and Sakura covered her mouth as a coy grin spread across Sasuke's face. The older Uchiha pulled a kunai from his weapons pouch and slashed at Sasuke, who disappeared in a poof of smoke to leave a smug-looking Sai standing in his place.

Haku stiffened immediately, hoping not to draw the artist-nin's attention, and Sai grinned at Itachi. "Too good to be true, isn't it?"

"If I wouldn't be thrown out of the village or executed for it, I'd kill you."

Sai stepped back from the fuming Uchiha, trying to free himself from the weight of Itachi's killing intent. "You should thank me, Itachi, for bringing a little bit of your fantasy to life."

_Itachi's…fantasy?_ Haku thought. _No, Sai usually says things that aren't true. He's just trying to mess with Itachi's head._

"Running out of insults, huh, Sai?" Naruto shouted at the smug artist-nin. "You use that one everytime! There's just nothing bad about Itachi, huh?"

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed at him, trying to keep Naruto from saying anything that would provoke more insinuations or insults from Sai.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Sasuke came in sight then, running towards his brother, an apology or an excuse on his tongue if Haku's prediction was correct.

"Well," Sai said, turning his smiling face towards Haku, "now that the genuine article's here, I must take my leave." He faced Itachi once more. "Am I really that pale in comparison to your dear little brother?"

Itachi reached for the sword on his back, and Sai jumped into a nearby tree, still grinning.

Sasuke joined them, panting, and he choked out, "Sorry…'tachi…just…got..mixed up…"

His older brother didn't face him, but he replied, "No harm done. Just listen more carefully next time, Sasuke."

"Yeah, sorry," Sasuke repeated, standing up as he caught his breath.

Haku made a mental note of the encounter.

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Haku was glad for Sakura's presence that day. She made a point of healing him every time he fell, took a hit from Itachi, or even if he just began breathing too hard. He thanked her every time, of course, and she would just smile back.

He trained against Sasuke that day; Itachi had taken off soon after the Sai incident, not sparing his brother a look as he said something about seeing the Hokage about his new mission assignment. Sasuke continued to teach him the Uchiha Alpha combination, and he soon realized that Itachi had gone gently on him the day before; he had supported Haku's weight during the sequence, trying to make sure that he would not fall.

Sasuke, however, did not do this. Haku knew that it would be wrong for him to expect Sasuke to help him that way; not only was that kind of assistance unrealistic (for in actual combat, his opponent would not hold him up while he attacked them) but Sasuke's body was smaller than Itachi's, and he was not quite as strong.

Thinking back on it, Haku also made a note of Itachi's strength. He had not had to put much effort into supporting Haku's body, even if he only used one arm.

He collapsed again, and Sakura ran away from her fight with Naruto to heal him.

"How's it going?" she asked conversationally as she knelt by him.

He forced a smile to his face. "All that I can say is that I'm glad to have Sasuke as a teacher."

Sasuke laughed. "Is it really nice? I was trying to be nice, yeah, but I don't know too much about teaching."

Naruto joined them for a moment, and he shouted directly at Sasuke, "Yeah, you weren't nice at all yesterday!"

Sasuke glared at him, then said to Haku, "I'll take your word for it, not his." He took a breath, and sighed. "Itachi is a much better teach than I am. He's had more experience, too, and for some reason, a few years ago, he started talking about wanting to be a teacher…" he trailed off, then laughed. "Of course he didn't, though. He's better than that."

Haku turned to look up at him. "What do you think of your brother?"

"Itachi?" Sasuke asked in surprise. He contemplated for a moment. "Well, he's…way better than I'll ever be. And he's…well, he's my brother and we get along fine."

Sakura finished healing him—he actually had scraped his elbows during his fall—and she said to Sasuke, "I'm sure you'll be just like him someday, Sasuke."

He shook his head. "I could never be."

Haku watched his face for a moment. Sasuke had not given him the kind of answer he'd been looking for, but he decided that there was nothing wrong with that.

It would be wrong for him to pry into their family's business, anyway.

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Itachi stalked down the halls of the temple. His destination: the Hokage's office.

He patted the bag he was carrying quickly to make sure that the documents he'd gathered were still there, and then he slung his bag back over his shoulder. The Yukitori clan was not well known; he had heard about them once before, but in the same breath that the person had used to tell him the clan's name, he was told that the clan was long-dead.

Itachi's thoughts strayed to his own clan, the Uchiha clan. His family was alive and thriving, and the Uchiha name carried a special meaning among the people of Konoha Village. They were the elite.

Itachi had been one of the elite a long time ago, and he still was, by most standards. He was in ANBU, and he had been since he was thirteen. He had been offered the position of ANBU captain several times, but that position carried with it responsibilities that Itachi did not want to take.

If he had accepted the position, he knew that he may have never been able to see Sasuke again.

The ANBU captains were a special crowd, even amongst Jounin, even amongst ANBU. None of their identities were known by anyone other than the Commander General of ANBU; they could not even pick out each other on the street, on the rare days when they were not occupied.

Itachi sneered as he remembered his last argument with his father on the matter.

"_I will not see you turn down an opportunity like this, Itachi. You represent our family; remember that."_

"_I know that, Father, but I simply cannot take the position."_

"_Why not?"_

_He had not known what to say then. The truth was too difficult._

"_I simply cannot."_

_His father sighed. "Itachi, I'll let this disobedience slide for now. I am only making an exception because it is YOU who is defying me. I am certain, though, that the temple will offer you the position again, and you will take it, one day."_

_He glared at his father, making no attempt to hide his anger._

"_Yes, Father."_

Itachi forced the scowl from his face as he passed a group of female Chuunin in the hall. They stared at him in surprise for a moment before pretending to ignore him. He knew he drew attention; Sasuke drew attention in the halls, too.

They were the Elite Uchiha brothers, after all.

He arrived at the Hokage's office and opened the door to find the head of the temple drinking sake while looking over paperwork. He shut the door quickly and walked up to the desk of the woman who had taken the last position he had turned down.

Itachi smirked for a moment; his father had been furious that day.

He had almost taken the position; if he had been the Hokage, he would have been able to see Sasuke all the time. He could have even requested his brother to come to his office whenever he wanted to see him; hell, he could have ordered Sasuke to serve as his assistant, and his brother would have been able to bitch and complain and nothing would change.

Itachi had made a point of telling his father of his intention to take the position of Godaime immediately, to show the man that though he was willful, he still knew he had to meet his father's expectations. His father had replied by saying, "As expected of my son."

When he and Tsunade had sat before the Council of Elders to settle the matter of the identity of the new Hokage, however, one of the first points that had been brought up was the matter of behavior.

_Itachi had sat down calmly on one of the cushions set out for himself and the medical specialist. She had had a bored look on her face that day, but he had sensed nervousness hidden under that mask. The fact that she was sober also hit him quickly, but he said nothing about it and his face showed that he knew nothing._

"_It has come to our attention," one of the elders said when Itachi sat down, "that many of the villagers are concerned with the new Hokage's behavior."_

_Tsunade blushed, and Itachi noticed that she was starting to sweat. He had known, from overheard conversations, that the woman did not want to take the position of Hokage, not after Yondaime became disabled, and he did not know why. It seemed that she did intend to fight for the position, though, and she shot Itachi a look before saying, "I know that my history isn't as squeaky-clean as Itachi's, and that I…have a drinking problem…"_

"_You also cover up your age with a genjutsu," one of the elders added, shaking his head. "It's not appropriate for the leader of our temple."_

_Tsunade nodded. "But, besides that, I have more experience, and my record--"_

_The first elder cut her off. "That is all true, Tsunade, but the Council would be pleased if you would not speak before it is your turn."_

_She scowled but fell silent._

_He continued. "At the same time, that is not what I meant. By behavior, I am referring to Mr. Uchiha's disinclination towards sociability."_

_Itachi stared at him, for a moment, stunned. The elder took in his silence and went on to say, "It is important that the next Hokage can identify with the villagers and the students. Itachi, despite your youth, you cannot properly socialize with civilians and young people. You are also incredibly withdrawn, having but two friends."_

_Itachi nodded, and the elder continued. "Your brother, and another boy from your clan…we cannot have a Hokage who is unable to communicate with other people, or unable to maintain interpersonal relationships."_

_Tsunade stared as the Council members all nodded in agreement._

_The elder then said, "Itachi is most likely Tsunade's superior in combat, indeed he is her superior in many ways, but this facet of his person cannot be overlooked. The Council wishes that Tsunade become the next Hokage, taking the title of Godaime."_

Itachi sat down in front of her now; it had been nine years since that day, and Tsunade had done a lot of good for the temple, though her gambling debts and lack of a good work ethic were often her downfall. She hid her empty sake cup quickly, though it was obvious that the Uchiha had seen it, and she smiled at him.

"Well, Itachi," she said brightly, alcohol on her breath. "Have you come to ask about your next assignment?'

He nodded. "You wish for me to continue my research on the Yukitori clan, correct?"

The blonde woman nodded before leaning back in her chair to relax. "You don't have to leave immediately…just go soon. I would appreciate it if you could be back before that boy has to leave." She sighed. "Damn that Water Country ninja…leaving his slave here for US to train. It's not right for those without Bloodline Limits to train those who have them."

Itachi nodded. "I don't like that man's attitude either. I don't think he quite understands the nature of Haku's abilities."

"Well, anyway, this is your only mission for now."

"I do have some questions considering the specifics of my mission, however," Itachi said, trying to make it clear to the woman that he was not ready to leave her office, no matter how badly she wanted to start drinking again.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What exactly do you need to ask me about?"

Itachi sighed. Tsunade seemed to think that they were rivals following the Council's decision, or that he was bitter. "It has come to my attention that the Yukitori clan has been violent in the past, and has even raided nearby villages, taking whatever they wanted."

"Oh, that." She fell into a relaxed posture again. "If the Yukitori clan is up to something, then you have the temple's permission to **kill the entire clan**. If there are children, though, bring them back." She frowned. "I don't want you to commit infanticide."

"Understood." He stood and left her office as quickly as he had come, leaving the Hokage to enjoy more sake before her assistant found her slacking off.

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Haku had noticed that Sasuke had fallen into a mood of some kind, and he ate dinner with the others without a single word falling from his lips.

Naruto was happy to make up for Sasuke's quietness, though, and he spoke more loudly than usual, laughing at Kiba's jokes twice as hard.

He returned his attention to his own plate then, and he realized that he hadn't touched his food yet. His mind wandered from one thing to another, and he saw something in Itachi's and Sasuke's relationship that reminded him of his relationship with his Master. He doubted that the same loving, protective feelings that existed between the brother existed between he and his Master, though.

Haku bit his lip, trying to work up his resolve. He would have to replace the missing parts with other parts—where there was not love, there would be respect and obedience. He would have to make up for what he could not make his Master feel for him.

"Are you feeling alright?" Hinata asked him suddenly.

Haku looked to his left to see the pale-eyed girl join him at the table. "Yes, Hinata," he said softly.

She smiled shyly at him, and said, "I'm worried about the party that's coming up."

"Party?" he asked, remembering the 'party' Naruto had told him about and deciding that it was not what Hinata was referring to.

Hinata nodded. "There's a party four days from now, and I have a dress, but…" she looked away, blushing. "I don't have a date, and I don't know how to ask…" She turned back to him then and laughed. "I'm sorry to bring this out of nowhere."

He smiled back. "No, it's alright." By her body language, he knew that she was not talking about him.

Kiba noticed that Hinata had joined them, and he asked to switch places with Chouji, who quickly complied, so that he could sit down across from Hinata. "What's up?" he asked.

Hinata blushed and snuck a look over Haku's shoulder. "I don't know how to ask him.."

Kiba folded his arms and frowned. "I'll tell you what, Hinata. Haku and I—if it's okay with Haku—we'll go to town with you, and we'll ask out girls, and when you've watched us look stupid and get dates, then…" he leaned in and whispered, "then YOU have to ask out Naruto."

Haku shot him a confused, slightly offended look and Hinata blushed and covered her face. She looked from one boy to the next, and she asked, "Do you mean it?"

"Sure!" Kiba said cheerfully. He looked at Haku. "Sorry to drag you into this, but is that okay with you, man?"

Haku sat and stared at him for a moment, weighing his options. Option A involved sitting out on a fun, albeit stupid and immature, plan that would allow him to bond with two students he would train with later. Option B involved possibly making an ass out of himself, not to mention pursuing a girl in a romantic way, even if he was only pretending.

He realized, too, that the dance occurred on the same night as Naruto's 'party', and he realized that, if Hinata did not ask out Naruto and ensure that he would go to the more legitimate party (even for just a small amount of time), that Hinata would lose any chance of seeing him that night.

"Of course," he said with a smile. "That sounds like fun."

Kiba grinned, and Hinata hugged him shyly before whispering, "Thank you!"

Naruto looked over to his left, and he grinned. _It looks like Haku's doing well with the girls! _He thought stupidly before shoveling more food in his mouth as he stared at Sakura, who was discussing something or other with Ino, who seemed distracted..

Naruto sighed. His pink-haired angel was so wonderful, even if she liked that jackass.

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Zabuza checked out a room that night in a hotel near 'Ice Country'. The Ice Country was not actually a separate country; it was the northern third of the Water Country, and the land was covered in ice for two-thirds of the year. At that particular moment in time, though, the land had thawed, making the Ice Country the perfect place for people such as Zabuza who liked to avoid the summer heat and the humidity that the Water Country was well-known for.

There was still a large amount of money in his wallet, and more hidden in his luggage, so he didn't have to worry about working just yet. He did want to find a job, though, if only to get him back into his usual pattern.

He looked out the window, and, to his surprise, snow had begun to fall.

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Notes: Well, what the fuck do you think is about to happen, bitches?

Please excuse my language. It's finals time.


	24. Chapter 24

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Four

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Sorry, I didn't mean to freak anyone out with the end of the last chapter. I am NOT pissed off or anything…just mildly entertained by cursing.

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Haku awoke the next morning to the sound of knuckles on wood. He sat up, orienting himself quickly. He was in his bed, in the room he shared with Sasuke, and (by the lack of light in the room) he knew that it was before daybreak.

The knocking noise was repeated, and Haku thought for a moment that Naruto had come to take him away from Sasuke. He shook his head, realizing that he was confusing a memory with the present, and out of the corner of his eye he saw that Sasuke had only responded to the knocking by turning over in his sleep and sloppily pulling a pillow over his head.

The water-nin quickly pulled himself out of bed and pulled open the door.

A bright flash of pain sent him to the floor, and Haku grabbed his forehead and closed his eyes tightly, trying not to cry out from his injury. The sudden blow to his forehead had hurt his neck, temporarily blinded him, and had come as a complete surprise.

He heard a muttered curse, and an apology, as Uchiha Itachi glanced around the room. His red eyes found Sasuke, and he deactivated his Sharingan before offering Haku a hand.

"My apologies," Itachi said after he pulled Haku to his feet. Haku walked nearly blindly to his bed and sat down as Itachi moved to stand over his sleeping brother. "It was meant for him." Itachi scowled at Sasuke before delivering his second forehead flick of the day, this time to its intended victim.

"MOTHER-FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"

The task of waking his brother complete, Itachi turned back to Haku. Sasuke rubbed his forehead and glared at Itachi in a sort of adoring contempt as Itachi said, "The first one was meant for him as well. I was not informed that Sasuke was sharing his room with anyone, so I assumed that he would answer the door."

Sasuke stuck his tongue out at the back of Itachi's head, and Itachi followed Haku's momentarily distracted gaze. This alone allowed him to determine that Sasuke was trying to 'get back at him' and he smirked.

Haku quickly returned his attention to Itachi, and he continued. "The pain, I know, is quite horrible. If need be, you should visit Shizune or Kabuto; one of them should be in the nurse's office right now, or if not there exactly, then lurking the halls in that general area." He dismissed their location with a wave of his hand, and Haku tried to ask WHO Shizune and Kabuto were, but Itachi was not finished.

Without turning around, Itachi said, "Foolish little brother, leaving your roommate, a guest of the temple, to open your door when your own blood knocks."

"It's your fault for not checking to see who it was before you flicked him!"

"And that is the reason for my apology." Itachi bowed to Haku before turning to Sasuke. "I'm leaving for a mission this morning, and I came to say goodbye, little brother."

"Oh." Sasuke's pout disappeared, and a look of genuine unhappiness took its place. "Good luck on your mission, Itachi."

Itachi nodded, and he left quietly.

With one hand protecting his still-pulsating and quickly-bruising forehead, Haku turned his attention to Sasuke, who was still sitting up in bed, bearing an injury identical to his. He let a small internal battle take place in his head before smiling at Sasuke. Haku decided to take the safer route when it came to talking to the younger Uchiha about potentially touchy subject matter.

"Do you want to have your bruise treated?" he asked softly.

Sasuke frowned. The pout returned to his face, and he shook his head. "Itachi ordered all of the nurses to never treat bruises in the center of my forehead." He scowled and looked away, then he cleared his expression and asked Haku, "Do you want me to walk you there?"

Since he still did not know who these Shizune or Kabuto people were, Haku replied, "Yes, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

Sasuke forced himself out of bed and threw on a robe. Haku did the same, smiling when he had turned his back to Sasuke.

The smile left his face when he guiltily realized the reason for its existence—he'd felt like he was Sasuke's brother for a moment, like Itachi's little brother, like a part of their family, like someone who was worthy of that sort of honor, someone who could be a part of an inside joke.

He knew better than to let Itachi's mistake boost his ego.

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The 'nurse's office', as Itachi had called it, was a sick room housing six beds. When Haku and Sasuke entered it around three in the morning, they found only one of those beds occupied, and the occupant was none other than Sai.

Haku stared at the sleeping artist-nin for a moment before Sasuke tugged on the sleeve of his robe, motioning for him to ignore the sleeping young man.

A chill ran down Haku's spine as Sai stirred in his sleep, but he complied and followed Sasuke into another room.

This room was smaller, and two of its four walls were lined with desks. A man with silver hair held back in a ponytail was sleeping with his head on his arms at one of these desks, and a pair of glasses lay next to his folded arms.

Sasuke walked up to him and shook his shoulder. "Kabuto?" he asked softly. When the medical-nin didn't wake, Sasuke shook his shoulder again, a little rougher this time, and then Kabuto sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around in confusion.

His dark eyes found Sasuke, and he immediately said, "I know better than to heal you, Sasuke," with a grin on his face.

Sasuke scowled. "It's not me, it's him," he said, pointing to Haku.

Kabuto put his glasses on and looked at Haku, then smiled. "Has your brother been attacking people at random?" he asked as he stood to examine the bruise. He touched the bruise gingerly, and Haku winced. _What did he have to touch it for, isn't it obvious that it's a bruise?_

As if one of the medical-nin's questions had been answered, Kabuto stepped back and prepared to heal Haku.

Five minutes later, Haku and Sasuke left the nurse's office. Haku couldn't help but steal one last look at Sai. This time around, he noticed the exhaustion that seemed to have consumed all of Sai's energy; he did not turn or move as he slept, and his face looked drained; he was still emotionless, but without his concealing smile to hide his weariness, he looked more like a human than the soulless entity that he liked to show himself to be.

When they had left, Kabuto returned to Sai's bedside. The artist-nin was still out from before, and Kabuto checked his vital signs to ensure the safety of his health. Sai could have died in his sleep without making a fuss; Kabuto was sure of it. The effeminate young man was a stunning example of a true ninja, someone who could die without showing fear, and pass on peacefully, an expendable item.

Kabuto checked the calendar and he allowed his face to light up for a brief moment. He forced those thoughts from his mind, returning his attention to Sai. Sai had landed a place in the infirmary after trying a new ninjutsu on himself…this had happened in the past as well. Kabuto had allowed him to sleep in the infirmary even after he'd been healed, and Sai had of course taken him up on his offer.

The silver-haired medical-nin frowned. He'd always found the way that Ne worked sickening.

Then again, Kabuto disliked many things about Konoha temple.

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Haku noticed Shino's absence during the morning run. He thought about asking Naruto why Shino was gone, but he knew that it wasn't his place, or his business, so he didn't say anything. Kiba and Hinata talked constantly during the morning run, except for the times that they found themselves near Team Seven; then, Hinata would become flustered and fall silent, and Kiba would bite back a laugh.

The dynamics among the three teams were all very interesting to Haku. Team Eight acted like a little family; Shino and Kiba were Hinata's older brothers, and, although there may have been small amounts of teasing or joking, they were all on equal footing with each other, and they seemed to support each other. There were no insults, and no cold shoulders, and certainly none of the violence he had see between the members of Team Seven.

His eyes strayed to Ino and Chouji, who were running together as usual. Team Ten's dynamics were a little rockier; perhaps the absent member, Shikamaru was simply irritable. He still didn't quite understand what was happening there, but it was obvious that the members of Team Ten did not see each other as family.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Naruto asked as he ran beside him.

Haku smiled back. "Nothing of interest."

Team Seven was an odd blend of quasi-family relationships, a three-way best friendship, and something else Haku couldn't put a finger on. Now that he was there, though, he knew that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke's relationship may have changed to 'make room' for him.

Then again, he was entertained by their antics, no matter what their actual relationships were like.

Sakura caught up to him. "How's your breathing?"

Haku blinked. "My breathing?"

She nodded. "Do you feel winded?"

He looked away and laughed for a moment. "Are you going to heal me already? We haven't even had breakfast yet!"

Sakura gave him a guilty look, then pouted and said, "Well, if you're going to be like that, I'll just leave you on your own!"

Haku smiled back. "I'll make the best out of that situation, Sakura."

Had he bothered to look at Sasuke, he would have noticed that the black-haired ninja's fingers kept straying to the bruise on his forehead. After a few minutes of this, Sasuke put on a forehead protector to keep himself from touching his brother's parting gift.

_Tch, _he thought. _Normal siblings would HUG when they parted._

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Haku had noticed, though, that he wasn't quite as winded that day, and they finished their run much earlier than usual. It was something that had not escaped Sakura's attention, and she thought of telling Tsunade. She didn't know who was handling Haku's Bloodline Limit training, but that the person may have been interested in the fact that Haku was getting into shape at a much faster rate than normal people.

Sakura kept this information from Haku for several reasons, one being that he wouldn't know what to make of it. From what she had gathered, Haku knew next-to-nothing about Bloodline Limits, and he would only be confused if she told him bits and pieces. They would have to wait until the ninja who had been sent to research Haku's clan returned, hopefully with information regarding the young man's abilities.

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Kiba dragged Hinata over to Team Seven during practice time. That day's match-ups had been Sakura with Sasuke, and Naruto with Haku. Haku's training that day entailed the creation and subsequent (and sometimes humorous) destruction of many loud, blonde clones.

Hinata's eyes widened as she found herself in a sea of Naruto, and she temporarily forgot why Kiba had made her walk over to Team Seven in the first place.

"Who's this cute girl?"

"I like her hair!"

"Ooooh! Her eyes are pretty!"

Hinata blushed as a few of the clones tried to talk to her. _Maybe Naruto does like me!_

Ino walked by then, and a few clones turned towards her and resumed their catcalls.

"Hey, baby, you look like you need something to eat! Wanna get it with me?"

"She's blonde too!"

"Ooooh! Her eyes are pretty!"

"Shut the hell up!" the blonde young woman shouted, and a few clones whistled.

Hinata's heart fell, and she crashed back down to reality, a reality in which a few of Naruto's clones were still hitting on Haku.

Haku was the first to notice her and Kiba, and he dropped the clone he'd been preparing to throw and turned to her. "Hello, miss Hinata," he said softly.

"H-hi Haku," she responded, eyes wandering about the sea of Naruto. "C-could I s-speak t-t-to--"

Kiba grabbed the front of his shirt. "We're borrowing him!" he shouted to Naruto over Haku's shoulder before dragging him away with Hinata.

Naruto let him go, smiling smugly. Sakura and Sasuke had noticed the odd exchange…or rather, the kidnapping of their temporary fourth team member…and they stopped their fight for a moment.

"Where's he going?" Sakura asked, her thin brow furrowing.

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "You have no discipline, letting your opponent walk away in the middle of a fight." He pulled a kunai from his weapons pouch and quickly 'killed' a nearby clone as if to illustrate his disgust with Naruto's work ethic.

Naruto shrugged, and grinned. "I think Kiba is setting up Haku and Hinata!"

The blonde's teammates exchanged a look.

"Um, Naruto, I don't think that's what it is," Sakura said through a tight smile.

"Uh…yeah," was all that Sasuke could add to Sakura's 'hint'.

Naruto turned to face his teammates with a confused look on his face. "Then what is it? I'm totally lost, if that's not what it is?"

Hinata's affections for Naruto were somewhat well-known throughout the temple. This had not always been the case, but, if a person trains, eats, and sleeps with the same eight people day in and day out for five years, they generally find themselves entrusted with many secrets, some of which they were told, and some of which they learned in other ways.

Any pubescent teenager could have seen Hinata's affections; any but Naruto, a complete and total dumbass.

"You're a retard," Sasuke said under his breath.

It was also an unspoken rule, though, that no one could OUTRIGHTLY tell Naruto of this. The other Chuunin wanted Hinata to build up the courage necessary for confessing to Naruto.

It was also blindly obvious that this would probably never happen.

"Dumbshit," Sasuke added.

Naruto blinked at them, ignoring Sasuke's insults as he pursued the truth. "Well, if Hinata isn't about to hook up with Haku, then what just happened?"

Sakura and Sasuke glanced at each other before sighing at the same time.

There was also one more thing that was wrong with Naruto's assumption, but Sakura didn't know about it and Sasuke had only a limited amount of evidence to go on, and this was the fact that Haku was a homosexual.

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Haku followed Hinata and Kiba outside the temple. The guard didn't ask them where they were going; he simply waved them on. As soon as he had stepped foot out of the temple, however, Haku could feel a slight pressure behind him, though when he turned to look he never saw anyone behind him.

"Thanks for coming with us," Hinata said softly. Haku noticed that her nervousness had disappeared and that a smile had brightened her face, and he was glad that he had agreed to come with them.

"Of course," he said. "Thanks for having me."

"The temple's always had this problem of not having enough girls," Kiba said. He frowned. "In fact, right NOW, the temple has the best girl-to-guy ratio it's ever had."

"The temple used to be for men only, didn't it?" Haku asked.

"Yeah. Uh."

Hinata turned to Kiba. "Is Akamaru still with your sister?"

The dog-trainer nodded. "Man, I let one kid ride him, ONE kid, and she just snapped and took him. I think she was PMSing or something, I don't really know with girls. Not that you've ever acted like that, Hinata."

She giggled, and Haku's face reddened. He was not used to hearing about…that.

Now that he thought about it, he'd never really spent long periods of time with girls. When he'd been with his last Master he almost never saw women; the man had been gay, his patrons had mostly been gay, and Haku's knowledge of women and reproduction had been limited to a few glimpses into occupied bathing rooms, followed by feelings of sickness. He reasoned that he must have been interested in men from a young age, and Haku remembered that boy from the orphanage…

"There she is!"

Haku's attention was pulled from his musings when Kiba pointed at a girl with brown hair. She looked to be about Naruto's age, and she was certainly pretty, at least aesthetically; her face was soft, her eyes were bright blue, and her figure looked nice enough, at least to Haku. The girl was walking down the street, traveling in the direction opposite to the one Haku was traveling in , and she was holding hands with a little boy who had the same coloring as her.

The blue-eyed girl looked up from her (presumably) little brother and Kiba blushed when her eyes turned to him. The glance lasted for only a moment, and the instant it was over, Kiba could be found staring at the sign for the local bakery, and the girl continued her way down the path again, acting as if nothing had happened.

Kiba's shoulder had turned stiff, and Haku thought he looked somewhat comical. Haku wondered if he was nervous…but he knew that he had acted the same way when he had first seen his Master's unbandaged face (though Kiba's expression lacked surprise, and Haku had been quite surprised).

When the girl was out of sight, Hinata giggled and Kiba turned on her. "Shut up!" he hissed, his face a brilliant shade of red.

"Hmm…" was all Hinata said back as she touched her lower lip, grinning.

Kiba folded his arms. "Okay, you may think it's funny, but you're DEFINITELY worse around Uzumaki." He glared at her for another moment, and her face started to redden, before he bit his lip and turned to Haku.

"Okay, buddy," he said. "Let's find a girl for you."

Haku stared back at him. This was what he'd come for, wasn't it? He forced a smile to his face, and laughed a little, covering his mouth with his hand before saying, "I can't wait."

He did not realize that Hinata's pale eyes allowed her to read body language better than most. She recalled what her cousin had told her during their Chuunin Exam fight, and she checked her own body language, dropping her hand from her mouth to hide her giddiness.

But what Haku had done…covereing his mouth with his hand while he laughed…that was…

Hinata smiled at him, then linked arms with him and pulled him away. Surprised, Haku let the shorter young woman drag him after her, and he began to walk of his own accord, wondering what had come over Hinata.

"Wait!" Kiba shouted after them. "Where the hell are you going?"

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The next hour found them sitting on a bench in the village's small park. Kiba slumped forward in boredom; there were girls here, but none of them were HER, and he didn't want to look at anyone but her (at least not that month), and to make matter worse Akamaru was gone…well, the village had asked him to stop letting Akamaru out into the common area a few years ago, due to his size, so Akamaru would not have been in the park with him even if his sister hadn't come down on him, so Kiba just frowned and watched random people play with their puny dogs.

He caught bits and pieces of Hinata's conversation with Haku, though.

"What about her?"

"I guess…she has nice coloring…blonde hair, blue eyes."

Hinata blushed. "Like Naruto…"

Haku held his hands up, ready to defend his sexuality. "That's not why!"

She giggled. "I know…Naruto is much better-looking anyway." Returning to business, she asked, "Would you like to ask her out?"

Quickly, Haku said, "Yes, so you can watch, right?"

Hinata laughed and nodded, and Haku forced himself from the bench.

When he was out of earshot, Kiba turned to his female teammate. "Hinata?"

She didn't take her eyes off Haku. "Yes, Kiba?"

"…"

Hinata glanced at him for a moment, and the smile did not leave her face. It was a genuine smile; Hinata had no others. She was not a secretive person, and even Shino, the most 'mysterious' member of their team would have felt free to talk to her, or to Kiba, about anything, so Kiba kicked himself mentally before continuing.

They were very open, after all.

"Hinata…"

She looked away and smiled. Kiba sighed as he watched Haku stumble his way towards the blonde girl, who was playing with a little brown dog FAR inferior to Akamaru.

When his female teammate said nothing, Kiba grinned. "I thought so."

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Haku took a deep breath when the blonde girl looked up at him. Like Kiba's crush, she looked to be about sixteen, and like Naruto, she had bright blonde hair (though hers was much longer) and bright blue eyes. Those eyes found his face, and she stared at him for a moment as if she was trying to recognize him, before she blushed and looked away.

"Hello," he forced out.

This was for Hinata's benefit. Haku realized belatedly that Kiba had not yet asked out the girl he actually liked, and that part of the reason that he and Kiba had agreed to ask out various girls in front of Hinata was to entertain her. He did not turn around, and he tried to push Kiba's and Hinata's faces out of his head, and to be a good sport, as he made good on his promise.

As she looked back at him, though, he found that he was in very, very new territory and he hadn't the slightest clue of what to say.

So, Haku did the first thing he could think of, which was kneeling next to her, smiling, and petting her dog.

"What's his name?" Haku asked softly.

He was surprised to see that she was still blushing, for some reason, and she said, "Koala." After a short pause, she added, "I heard the name somewhere once…and I liked it…"

Haku sighed. Okay, it was a level playing field. She was just as stupid as he was.

Haku tried again. "What's your name?"

She blushed harder (much to Haku's confusion) and she said, "Reika…and yours is?"

"My name is Haku."

"Oh. I haven't seen you here before, Haku."

He nodded. "I'm a new student at the temple."

Her eyes widened, and she smiled. "Wow, I didn't know they were still accepting students." She looked behind him, and as her eyes found Kiba and Hinata sitting on the bench, she asked, "They're your friends, right?"

"How did you know?" Haku felt a little guilty for calling them his friends, since he barely knew them, but if the girl was talking, he'd talk too.

"Well," she said, having trouble meeting his eyes, "That's Hyuuga Hinata…she's a little famous…and that's Inuzuka Kiba."

"You know Kiba?"

The blush on her face intensified, and she whispered, "Well, I'm dating his sister."

Haku's eyes widened, and she tried to amend her words. "You must think I'm pretty bad, since I'm dating his sister and I'm talking to you. But…well, I don't meet many girls who like other girls so, I thought maybe we should get to be friends..."

Haku left soon after that.

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Kiba and Hinata hid their smiles as best they could when Haku insisted they leave the park immediately and pursue Kiba's crush. As they returned to the part of town that Kiba said the girl frequented the most, Haku glared daggers into Kiba's back, but whenever the dog-trainer turned around, he smiled sweetly before glaring once again when Kiba stopped looking at him.

He began to wonder if this whole expedition was some barely-concealed scheme to make him wish he'd never come to Konoha.

"So," Kiba started, trying to wipe the smile from his face as he turned back to Haku once again, "we didn't really get to hear any of that, but it looked funny enough, so you don't have to ask any more girls out…unless, of course, your dream girl suddenly shows up. I'll just make as big an ass out of myself as I can to make up for you."

Haku felt a little of the tension in his body drain away and he sighed before replying, "Thank you, Kiba, if that's alright with Hinata."

"Of course!" she said. "Now that I saw you talk to her, I feel a little better. It kind of looked like neither one of you knew what to say, and maybe N-Naruto will be like that when I ask him out." The pale-eyed girl blushed and lowered her head, smiling nervously, trying to make it clear that she would, indeed, make good on her end of the deal.

_Well, _Haku thought, _maybe they're not just trying to be mean to me. But then why would he have me talk to his sister's girlfriend?_

"Oh!" Hinata whispered, "There she is!"

Indeed, the object of Kiba's affection was now walking by herself, a grocery basket in her arms. Kiba's shoulders went stiff, and Haku felt some sort of inner demon awaken as his pride called for revenge. However, he had enough self-restraint to resist the urge to push Kiba into his crush.

Hinata was a different story.

Haku stared as the shy girl landed a foot squarely on Kiba's lower back, sending him stumbling towards the blue-eyed, brown-haired girl as she shopped for eggs. Kiba made some sort of protesting noise as he tripped towards his crush, and the girl looked at him in wonder as they came quite nearly face-to-face. He smiled widely, and she started to talk to him in a soft voice that Haku couldn't hear.

Hinata smiled softly as she watched the boy who usually took care of her try to do something for himself. Meanwhile, Haku was absorbed in Kiba's conversation with the civilian girl; their words seemed to flow very easily, and though Kiba was still flustered he was obviously much more comfortable talking to this girl than Haku had been talking to the blonde in the park.

A tug on his sleeve and Hinata's voice led him away from Kiba, giving the dog trainer a little more privacy as they walked down the adjacent street.

Haku and Hinata were silent for a moment.

"Do you think he's doing well?" Haku asked in an attempt to break the silence. He realized that they were in another section of the town now, far, far away from Kiba, unable to bail him out.

"I'm sure of it," Hinata said. She smiled. "Well, I really do have to ask Naruto out now. I feel bad for kicking Kiba…he might get back at me later." The pale-eyed girl paused, and Haku felt that presence again, the one that had stayed behind them since he'd left the temple, but he resisted the urge to look around.

Without turning to face him, Hinata said, "Don't worry; it's just an ANBU."

Haku's eyes shot open but he forced himself to act naturally. "You knew?"

She nodded. "They're probably following you to make sure you don't run away with any of the village's secrets."

Haku knew that there were other reasons, though. He was a foreigner, but more importantly, a slave; either way, complications could arise if he ran from the temple, or if he was stolen.

Stolen.

As he walked past one of the restaurants on the right-hand side of the street, he crashed into someone, a man who'd just left the restaurant. He quickly pulled away from the man and bowed, but when he looked up to apologize, he found that the sun was right behind the man's head and for a moment, he looked just like his Master.

Haku quickly looked down again. "I'm sorry, sir," he said.

"No, it's okay, kid," the man said. He took off then, not giving Haku another glance.

He straightened his posture and Hinata looked at him curiously. "Are you alright?"

Haku smiled. "Of course. But, now that I think about it…"

The sky had turned red, orange, and gold, and Haku realized that the sun would soon have set, and that he had only trained for an hour that day.

Sensing this, Hinata said, "I know it's out of your rotation schedule, but would you like me to train you? Just until Kiba finds us, of course."

He smiled. "Thank you, Hinata."

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Haku knew better than to judge Hinata by her appearance. She was short, and somewhat slender (or at least her legs were; her jacket hid her upper body quite well), and she was, of course, a girl. Hinata was a ninja, though, and she carried the Hyuuga name quite well, which Haku would soon learn.

Hinata shed her jacket when they returned to the park, depositing it on the same bench Kiba had sulked on earlier. Haku considered taking off his robe, as he had done before, but he was afraid that it would be indecent, so he decided to keep it on before tying his hair back.

Hinata bowed to him before they began their fight. Haku bowed back, out of habit, and Hinata fell into her Gentle Fist stance, waiting for his attack.

Needless to say, Haku did not know what to expect. For some reason, his memories of training with his Master outside the old house returned.

"_We're going to keep going until you get a sense for this. You have no experience in fist fights, and there won't always be water around for you to manipulate. The only way for you to learn how to fight, is to fight. There's no point in being kind when I'm training you. Kindness will only hurt you later. I'm going to make sure that you won't die on this mission. I'm not going to save you if you get yourself into a dangerous situation. I need you to be able to save yourself."_

"_We're going to keep going until the sun sets." _

The sun was setting then, and Haku realized that he was shaking from his memories of the man. Adrenaline had flooded his veins, adrenaline that had nothing to do with the deadly young woman waiting for him to attack her.

She wasn't Hinata. She was an enemy. She was his opponent. She was his instructor. He could hear his Master's voice in his ear.

"Attack, Haku," came the deep growl. "Just try whatever you can. This isn't a fight. It's a deathmatch. Don't get hung up on technique."

These people, the ninjas from the temple, were profoundly different from himself, and the difference was not limited to the fact that Haku was a slave. They devoted their lives to the way of the ninja. His Master's life, and his life, were not devoted to that.

_What to, then?_

_To him, of course. You are devoted to your Master. He is your goal, and he is ultimately unattainable._

"Master," he said under his breath.

"Haku?" Hinata asked, easing up her stance a little as she looked at him in concern.

"Master," he whispered, almost inaudible.

"GO."

Haku dashed towards Hinata, and she prepared to strike his abdomen. He had seen this, though, he had somehow seen it and the Uchiha Alpha combination was burning in the muscles of his arms and his legs, waiting to be used, so he grabbed onto her arm and began the sequence. Haku executed the first three strikes when his weight overwhelmed Hinata; it was not a matter of strength, but rather of physics, and they both fell to the ground.

The fight was not over, though, and Haku quickly planted one palm firmly on the ground and performed a one-handed back-handspring, removing his body from Hinata's just as she finished extending her leg in a kick that would have sent him to the nearest hospital had it landed. Her eyes darted from Haku's previous position to his current one, and she stared at him for a moment before gracefully pulling herself up, and she became the aggressor, landing a quick blow to Haku's collarbone.

Her eyes shot open as he failed to dodge this blow and he fell, clutching his shoulder.

"Oh my god, Haku!" she shouted then, covering her mouth with her hands. "I'm so sorry!" Hinata knelt by him, and he hissed as she checked over the wound.

Hinata touched her lower lip again as she contemplated what had happened. Haku had shown his Bloodline Limit again—though it seemed he hadn't been aware of it. She had decided before the fight that she would not use her Byakugan against him, as she had assumed that he could not use his Bloodline Limit against her.

It seemed as though he could not control it, though.

"It's okay," Haku said, rotating his shoulder. "You went easy on me, thankfully. I'll see Kabuto again when we return to the temple."

She hung her head in shame. "I am so sorry, Haku."

He shook his head. "We were training, Hinata. My Master would have done the same thing, anyway."

If Hinata had caught the title he'd used for his 'teacher', she said nothing. "At the same time, I'm not Master Zabuza, so I need to act more respectfully towards you," she said.

"I'm sure he'd be glad to see you actually hit me, rather than coddle me," Haku said, ending the conversation.

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They soon returned to the alley they'd left Kiba in to find that neither he nor the girl had moved; they were still talking in front of the egg vendor, and Kiba spouted joke after joke, and his crush laughed at them.

Haku unconsciously shielded his shoulder as he watched the dog trainer with Hinata. Kiba suddenly turned around, spotted his female teammate, and he tore himself from the girl (but not before getting her phone number).

"Well?" Hinata asked him?

Kiba drew in a breath, waiting for their attention, and when they looked at him, he shouted, "I have a date!"

"How was it, talking to her?" Haku asked.

Kiba thought for a moment. "It was fun, I guess. She told me that she liked me too." He grinned smugly. "How cool is that? I mean, I had no idea! She never looked at me or anything before, but she told me that she's always made herself act that way around me because, well, she though I'd only like someone from my clan."

Hinata laughed. "That reminds me…Father recently started to look for a wife for Neji…"

"I know!" Kiba shouted. "This clan crap is terrible. Well, I guess we Inuzukas can kind of adopt people in, so it's not as bad as being a Hyuuga." He turned to Haku. "What's it like in your clan?"

Haku blinked. "Clan?"

Kiba nodded. "Kurenai told us you have a Bloodline Limit. What's your clan like? Or did you grow up apart from them?"

"I…I grew up apart from them."

"Oh, you're lucky!" Kiba exclaimed. "Clans are the WORST! I mean, outsiders think they're cool, but there's all these rules…and you have to dress alike…"

"Well, I do wish that I'd known more of my family," Haku admitted.

"Oh." Pause. "Shit…er, sorry."

"Speaking of family," Haku said, thinking back to the park, "why did you have me flirt with your sister's girlfriend?"

Hinata's eyes shot open and Kiba stared. Haku was suddenly afraid that he had spilled a secret that did not need spilling.

"Oh shit! That girl's datin' Hana?" Kiba shouted, hitting his forehead. "Sick! Since when is my sister a cradle-robber?"

Haku sighed. "You knew she was…"

Kiba stared at him. "Well, yeah, I knew she was a lesbian. She's my sister. You tend to know these things about family."

"Oh." _Well, this isn't strange._

Haku looked away, and a smile lit up Hinata's face. Kiba caught her eye, and he smiled too.

They would keep Haku's secret a secret, at least for a while.

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One the way home, Kiba kept going on and on about how he was glad that his crush liked him back. Haku just smiled; he didn't know the feeling, so he could only force a smile to his face and tell Kiba he was happy for him.

Haku thought of his Master again, and he hoped to see him soon. _Even if I have to seduce him, I want to make him return a little bit of what I feel, _he thought guiltiy.

It was blatantly obvious that the man did not long for Haku, as Haku found himself longing for him.

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Zabuza awoke that morning to the sound of blizzards, wreckage, and screaming. He quickly threw on a pair of pants and his shoes before grabbing his close-range sword and running out the door.

He had awoken to many mornings like that back in the Mist Village, mornings when violence had torn him out of bed and he had been summoned by his superiors to quiet whatever was running through the town.

Zabuza was an expert swordsman; ruthless, efficient, skilled.

What met his eyed that morning was not a scuffle, like many he had seen between the drunks of the town at early hours; it was not a gang war, as he had seen his share of these too.

What he saw was a monster.

A single man with pale skin, dark eyes, and dark hair commanded a cloud of snow, and the cloud quickly reformed into a spiked ball that its master sent crashing through one of the local homes. Shrieks were heard from inside; its occupants had not been ready for the attack.

Only slightly fazed by the man's abilities, and chalking them up to some kind of Bloodline Limit, or whatever, Zabuza drew his sword and went straight for the man. His opponent quickly dodged him, though, and he commanded the spiked ball to attack Zabuza while he walked through the home he'd destroyed, and Zabuza stared at him in confusion before slamming the blade of his sword into the ground and executing his Water Dragon Bullet Technique.

The man was equally appalled when he watched one of the water dragons form from snow on the nearby ground, then dive into his abdomen, knocking him down as he tried to leave the ruined house.

Zabuza left his sword where it was and dragged the man from the house as a few of the local policemen ran up to him. The officers stopped running when they saw the man that Zabuza was holding, though, and they stared at both of the brawlers in horror.

"That's…Yukitori Tobi…" one of them said as he stared at the unconscious man.

Zabuza glared at him. "So what? Is he allowed to fuck up this town or something?"

The other officer came to his senses, and handcuffed the unconscious man immediately. He turned to his companion, who was still staring at 'Tobi' in shock, and said, "Go tell the men at the station that we got Tobi. Send some other men out so we can bring him in…" He stared at the dark-haired man, then turned to Zabuza. "You did this by yourself?" he asked as his partner ran away.

Zabuza grunted, "Yeah. Who is this guy?" He looked down at the unconsciousness man, and something about him looked familiar. His coloring was similar to Haku's, but then again, dark hair and eyes were very common. That pale skin color, though…

The officer stared at him. "Haven't you heard of the Yukitori clan?" Without waiting for Zabuza's reply, he shook his head, rage spilling from his being. "The Yukitori clan lives a few miles north of here. They'll come to town every once in a while and take things they need." His gaze returned to 'Tobi', and he sighed. "I can't believe you were able to knock him out."

The swordsman's eyes narrowed. "Aren't there any ninjas in this village?"

"No, of course not!" The officer replied. "None but the Yukitori clan, and I'm not sure if that's what you meant."

"How big is this clan?" Zabuza asked.

The man blinked at him. "Why?"

"I want to work out a deal with your town."

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	25. Chapter 25

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Five

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

The Yukitori clan is made-up.

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Itachi found the small town, the so-called White Town, later that night and he quickly located the local law office to check in with the man who had requested his temple's assistance.

His mission was two-pronged: research Haku's Bloodline Limit and, if necessary, kill the clan off. The thought made his blood boil. As a child, Itachi had once thought of killing the Uchiha clan, but he had dismissed this as an irresponsible wish, something that seemed desirable, but would not bring much actual pleasure.

He had hated his clan's oppressiveness, and he had hated how every clan in the village fought for dominance, trying to establish some kind of hierarchy. Human beings, Itachi reasoned, were all alone anyway after they left their mother's body. Clan relations, clan hierarchy, people in positions of authority…Itachi despised that false power. He despised family and clans and he wished sometimes that he could have been born ordinary, with no Sharingan, and no ear-catching, blood-freezing family name.

The only family member he cherished was Sasuke, and even then…

Itachi put on his forehead protector as a matter of formality. He removed all thoughts from his head but those of professionalism. He had come to White Town because of the mission that Godaime had given him, and he would complete it with all due speed so that he could return home, see Sasuke for a few minutes, and then leave again.

As Itachi opened the door to the law office, one of the men there stood out to him. He was taller, more muscular, and he had two other defining features: a bandaged lower face and shaved eyebrows.

Taking this surprise in stride, Itachi first walked up to him, and said, "Momochi Zabuza."

The water-nin turned to face him, and he glared as he recognized the other man's face. "What are you doing here?"

Itachi tried to ignore his lack of manners. "I was called here for a mission."

The officer that Zabuza had been waiting for joined him once again, and the man looked at Itachi's forehead protector and his face lit up. "Help from the Leaf! We were afraid that our call would go unanswered!"

Itachi nodded. "The Hokage changed her mind and decided to send me."

The officer looked fretful, and he glanced between them and sighed. "Well, Mr. Momochi, and Mr…"

"Uchiha."

"Yes, Mr. Uchiha. You see, the mission that Mr. Momochi has already accepted is the same as the one that we requested the Leaf send us help for. We can pay both of you, though, and it might be better to have more than one--"

"You want us to work together," Zabuza interrupted.

The officer clasped his hands together and smiled apologetically. "I must admit, that the Yukitori clan is VERY strong and that it would likely benefit you--"

"Alright," Itachi said. Without glancing at Zabuza, he said, "I have no problem with splitting the mission, as long as I can begin soon.".

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Years ago, Itachi would not have allowed that sort of thing. He had been raised to be proud, just as proud as his father, just as proud as all the men in every clan in the village. Itachi knew that there were few ninja alive that could kill him, and he doubted that a near-dead clan would be much of a challenge for him, especially if said clan was comprised of men and women who didn't understand the basics of chakra usage and ninjutsu. The people sounded like wild animals to Itachi; strong, but stupid, and easy to kill if the hunter used the correct methods.

Itachi had always known that he saw the world in the wrong way. His father had occasionally been disturbed by his behavior, and his thoughts, so he had learned to keep quiet and to only do what he was told and say what he was expected to say. The black thoughts never left him, though, and he often felt cold and hard inside, unable to sympathize with other people. Even now, as he stood next to Zabuza, and as he was surrounded by the people of the village, he felt completely alone.

This had changed when his parents had left him alone with Sasuke one night. His mother had dragged his father out of the house, and Itachi had heard them say something about going out with the other married couples from the clan, and his father had eventually agreed, leaving the twelve-year-old Itachi, already a successful ninja, already a Sharingan master, already a chuunin, to look after his five-year old brother.

Somehow, something melted inside of him when he was with Sasuke. It had been painful at first, and he had been confused when his little brother had started talking a few years earlier, because he suddenly felt afraid, and vulnerable, and he could not tear his eyes from his baby brother. Sasuke had not shown any potential by that time, and their mother babied him. His upbringing had been far different from Itachi's.

That night found Sasuke and Itachi working at the same table in their living room. Itachi had prepared tea for himself, the same kind as always; green, and dark. He had promised to buy Sasuke a snack from the local vendor if he did well on the primer their father had given Sasuke; his parents had never rewarded him like that, but his mother often made those kinds of promises to Sasuke, and that night Sasuke's face lit up the same way it did whenever their mother made that promise to him, and that stirring, warm feeling boiled inside Itachi's chest again, and he was suddenly not alone.

It was rather amazing, or so Itachi though. Itachi had one friend, a fellow Uchiha named Shusui, but the feeling that now coursed through Itachi when he was with his little brother was nothing like anything he'd felt when talking to Shisui, and he couldn't explain it. Sasuke was an enigma to him, and he realized that he liked that; he had always enjoyed finding puzzles he couldn't solve, and amazing enough he found himself living with one such puzzle, so he enjoyed his brain's inability to understand his reaction to Sasuke's presence.

"Big brother?" Sasuke asked him.

Itachi looked up from his mission report, and he saw that Sasuke's eyes were downcast, and he recognized the expression on his face. It seemed, for some reason, that Sasuke was shy around him, and he had known this for some time but he still could not explain it. This was a mystery, but it was not pleasant, like the general mystery of his brother; it bothered him. He took no pride in having power over a five-year-old.

"What is it?" he asked.

Sasuke's black eyes scanned Itachi's report, and he frowned. Itachi realized that Sasuke had not yet learned all of the characters that he wrote with; he wasn't even old enough to attend the academy yet, so the majority of his written vocabulary consisted of hiragana.

His little brother kept silent for another moment, then turned his primer to face Itachi. "Can you tell me what I'm supposed to know about this?"

The phrasing of the sentence bothered Itachi—he thought that Sasuke's grammar was better than that—and it dawned on him that Sasuke had said exactly what he meant.

Sasuke was ashamed of himself.

Itachi took the book and realized that it was not the primer he'd seen Sasuke working in a month ago; it was the book that second-year academy students used.

Itachi stared at the page for a moment, and he though of asking Sasuke if he had the wrong book, and then he remembered that he had read through all of the academy textbooks at Sasuke's age, and that their parents may have been pushing Sasuke to follow in his brother's footsteps. He wasn't sure, though, so he started to flip through the pages previous to the one Sasuke had been working on.

Sasuke watched in surprise as his silent brother read through all of his old answers, and read all of the 'wrong' comments and the x's that his father had put down over Sasuke's incorrect anwers, and he wanted to tell Itachi to stop looking, but he was terrified of his older brother, the strong, talented Itachi, so he watched in silent horror as his faults screamed themselves out in red ink to his old brother. When Itachi frownded and continued to flip through the book , Sasuke started to shake from nervousness. His father had been angry when he had graded many of those sections, and Sasuke had tried to study harder, but he couldn't measure up to his family's expectations, and he wasn't the next Itachi, but he couldn't complain about that.

Itachi set one pale hand with violent fingernails down on the book when he'd finished reading it, and looked at his brother. To his surprise, Sasuke was shaking badly and started to cry, and for some reason this affected him; he had seen many people cry before, and he had indeed been the cause many times, but now he panicked, and he couldn't do anything, so he stared at Sasuke and it happened then.

It broke, whatever it was that was inside him broke, and he felt some sort of pain. It was not Sasuke's pain; he was not empathetic. When the unnamable thing broke, his chest started to feel hot, and he said, "Sasuke."

His little brother covered his face with his hands, and Itachi stood up, walked around the table, and put his arms around Sasuke. Sasuke did not cry into his chest as he had expected him to; he had seen this before, situations in which someone would embrace a crying person, and the crying person most often turned to their companion and sought support. Sasuke tried to pull himself into a ball, and Itachi pulled Sasuke closer to him, realizing that he had nothing nice to say. He had never been in that situation before.

"Itachi…" Sasuke sobbed. "You looked! You're…you're so mean! Why did you look?"

Itachi tightned his arms around his brother, and said, "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't know." He hugged Sasuke, who was unfamiliar with that kind of contact with anyone but his mother. Itachi turned his head to the side and looked at the book as Sasuke continued to cry.

"I'll teach it to you," he offered. Sasuke shook his head quickly.

Itachi pulled away from him and looked down at his little brother's miserable face. "Why not?"

"Dad--" Sasuke choked out, "—dad said I—I couldn't—disturb you…"

Itachi stared at him. He had never watched someone hold back tears before, and he found himself repeating, "Why not?"

"Because you're smarter than me."

That was not news to Itachi. As far as he knew, that was his relationship with everyone in the village; no one had told him otherwise, at least. So he narrowed his eyes and said, "Of course I am."

Sasuke started to sob again, and Itachi hugged him and whispered, "Sasuke, there isn't anyone in this village who's smarter than I am. Even Father."

His little brother quieted for a moment. "Even…Father?"

"Yes." This seemed to placate Sasuke, and Itachi inferred from this that their father had been hard on Sasuke, as hard as he had been on Itachi before he let Itachi have his independence when he'd mastered the Sharingan. "Yes, Sasuke, I'm much smarter than Father," he said.

Sasuke laughed, and Itachi let out the breath he'd been holding. "Really?"

Itachi pushed him away a little and smiled at him. It was the first smile that had graced his face for a long time, and he said, "Yes, of course, don't make me repeat myself."

His little brother crawled off his lap, and pulled the workbook back towards him. Itachi leaned over Sasuke and opened the book to the page he'd been on before, and he set his chin ever so lightly on the top of Sasuke's head as he re-read the question.

"So," Sasuke said, drying his eyes with his sleeve, "What am I supposed to do then?" he pointed to the question and picked up the pen he'd been using as Itachi explained it to him, and they worked question after question like that, only separating when their parents returned home. Itachi quickly returned to his spot and their father glanced at his sons sitting in the living room before walking over to them and looking over each of their shoulders. He simply nodded when he saw Itachi's report, and Itachi smiled to himself. His father hadn't realized that Itachi had only completed ten percent of the report.

Fugaku then looked over Sasuke's shoulder, and he nodded his approval again. As he left, though, he paused an looked at Sasuke's workbook, and Itachi watched as his little brother's shoulder stiffened and he sent a panicked look his way.

"You've shown improvement, Sasuke," Fugaku said. "I don't like the way you worded this part, though," he said, pointing to one of the answered Sasuke had copied.

Itachi had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. His little brother had copied what he'd said, to the word, and it wasn't good enough for his father. Itachi had never cared about that, though.

When their father left the room, Itachi began to write quickly, his elegant handwriting pouring out of the tip of his pen as if the ink was rushing to the place it had always known it belonged, as if it would have fallen just in that way without Itachi's effort, and he caught Sasuke smiling at him. When he turned his black eyes to Sasuke, though, his little brother shyly looked down and continued to work.

Their relationship had continued in this way for quite some time, with Sasuke seeking Itachi out for help when their father wasn't present, until Sasuke graduated from the academy. Their physical closeness had already ended by then, something Itachi knew came with age, so he began to show his affection by flicking his brother's forehead instead of through hugging him. The painful flicks also allowed Itachi to stop Sasuke from making mistakes without any words passing between the two of them, and Itachi knew that Sasuke could not distinguish the affectionate flicks from the warning ones.

Sasuke also stopped being his adorable little brother. He was popular at school, although, if Itachi had asked him, he would have learned that Sasuke did not have any actual friends. In fact, Sasuke had a slew of admirers, and one rival, but if anyone had asked Itachi he would have told them that Sasuke had many close friends, just like any normal teenager, because, when compared to his older brother Sasuke was just that: a normal teenager.

Despite their slight fallout, Itachi still cherished every second he could spend in his brother's presence, and he was quite sure that this feeling was mutual. There was still the matter of that burning in his chest, but Itachi knew better than to linger on that feeling.

He knew that he saw the world incorrectly in more than one way, so he tried to bury that burning and he turned all of his ambitions and desires into the wish to see Sasuke do well.

Though no one else knew it, Sasuke was Itachi's world, and Itachi would have done anything to help him, no matter how painful it may have been.

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What was important to him was getting this mission over with so that he could go back to the temple as quickly as possible. If his desires were fulfilled, he would be put in charge of Haku's Bloodline Limit training, and he would be allowed to do nothing else until the slave left the temple.

He eyed the young man's Master, who shrugged and told the official, "Whatever. I don't have any trouble splitting the mission."

_Good, _Itachi thought. _I need to get back soon._

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They agreed to start the mission in three days. Once Zabuza had left him, Itachi found his own hotel room and changed quickly. It was summer, but snow had begun to fall, and Itachi needed to keep warm over the next few hours.

He exited the room soon afterward, and made the journey to the Yukitori clan property. Part of his mission involved watching the clan members, at least to a safe extent, so he used an invisibility jutsu and teleported himself to the inside of the compound.

The compound was full of small, run-down buildings. Most of these buildings were vacant, and Itachi found that there was very little noise in the compound. He traveled from building to building, wondering how many people could have still been alive.

A man dressed in navy crossed his path, but the clan member did not see or sense him, affirming Itachi's impression that these people were on the same level as wild animals. He continued walking in the direction the man had come from, and he found a building with lit-up windows.

Itachi looked in through one of the windows and he saw a family of five sitting around a fire. He made a note of the fact that every person in the room was over the age of twenty. The next house over was lit-up, too; he found a similar situation in this house.

_Where are the children? _He thought. Itachi walked around this house, and found that there were no other houses with lights on, before taking another look into the house.

This room was different; the sole occupant was a girl, a few years younger than Sasuke, with hair, eyes and skin the exact color of Haku's, and she seemed to be malnourished, at least at first inspection, for her abdomen was—

Itachi shook his head as he stepped back from the window. He made a note of the girl and her location before leaving the little compound.

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The days at the temple continued for Haku, and he realized, on his last morning with Team Seven, that he hadn't seen Sai for quite a while. The thought occurred to him as he jogged alongside Naruto on their morning run, and he spotted the tree Sai had been perched in when he had made that drawing of himself and Naruto.

_Well, _he thought, _perhaps Sai became bored with insulting me._

His thoughts turned to the events that would occur that night, and he smiled to himself.

The day continued on; Sasuke worked with him, and Haku found that he had grown much more comfortable with taijutsu. Naruto and Sakura trained together that day, which pleased the scarred ninja greatly; he loved being allowed to pursue Sakura during their fight, though he let her win their fight. Sakura became somewhat enraged after a while, shouting at Naruto, "Just fight me for real, damn it!". Naruto responded by smiling smugly until his female teammate punched him in the face.

Sasuke's mood from the previous days had worn off, and Haku was glad for it. The black-haired ninja was completely focused on training him now, and he found himself enjoying their fight.

The day passed quite uneventfully until lunchtime. Naruto ran off first, and Sakura left quickly as well, saying that she had to do something for Tsunade. Haku continued his training with Sasuke until Sasuke threw him over his shoulder at one point, and Haku landed on his back. Instead of standing, he watched the clouds pass overhead and sighed.

Sasuke eyed him wearily. "I didn't break your back, did I?"

Haku sat up and shook his head. "No, I was just resting."

Sasuke sighed in relief. "It's quite, isn't it?" he asked. Haku nodded.

"Very peaceful."

To his surprise, Sasuke laid down next to him and put his arms behind his head, and Haku lay back down, staring at the clouds.

"Are you lonely?" Sasuke asked him.

There was no need to think about the question. "Yes."

"Do you miss your Master?"

Haku nodded. "It's embarrassing," he admitted, letting a slight blush grace his face.

"I know," Sasuke said. Haku turned to face him wondering if he was talking about Itachi, but Sasuke had sat up and his black eyes were focused on something else now.

Haku sat up too, and he found Sai standing in front of them, an evil grin playing on the effeminate ninja's lips.

"How long have you been here?" Sasuke growled at him, his face burning.

"So, you're lonely?" Sai asked Haku, his emotionless smile fighting to light up his blank face. "I wonder what that's like."

Haku could only stare at him. He wondered what Sai was thinking, what his next move would be. His mind raced, and he found several things Sai could say, but he wasn't sure of any of them, and they could have all been true, or all been false, and it would all be the same to Haku.

He continued to stare as Sai sat down in front of them. Sasuke had pulled himself up into a semi-squatting position, his hand on his thigh, ready to draw out a kunai or shuriken if need be.

Sai smiled straight at him, ignoring Sasuke. "What does that mean, really? Being lonely? Does it mean that you're the only person around? Because you're not…Sasuke is here…or can you be lonely with other people?"

Haku forced himself to calm down. Sai was inconsequential. When he left the temple, he would never have to see Sai again. Probably.

His eyes shot open in surprise when Sai touched his face and stared at him curiously, as if trying to memorize the look on his face. "I'm not very good at drawing faces. Do you know why?"

Haku's mouth went dry, but he forced himself to not flinch as Sai's hand lingered, and Sai's unblinking eyes bored into his, as if he could see him and dissect him like that; the entire analysis could be conducted through the eyes, all of the truth would come out, and he would be unraveled. So Haku forced his mask to his face, the mask his Master hated, and Sai pulled his hand away.

"Your expression is gone, Haku," Sai said softly. His smile didn't falter, but there was some kind of weird disappointment in his voice that Haku couldn't comprehend. "And here I thought you were going to help me learn about loneliness."

"I'm sorry," Haku said through his mask, "if I couldn't be of use to you, Sai."

"It can't be helped," Sai said. He laughed then, a childish laugh, but Haku's mask didn't falter, and Sai stood up, his shoulders shaking in mirth as Sasuke watched the strange exchange.

"It's funny, you know," Sai said when Haku made no indication that he cared about Sai's laughter, "that you would do that to yourself."

"Do what?" Haku asked softly.

Sai smiled, then wrapped his arms around himself as if he wanted to give himself a hug. "Pretend that you can't feel anything." Sai smiled wider, then he turned to Sasuke, who was waiting for him to make a move of some sort. "I thought there were only two kinds of people before I met you," Sai said to the side, speaking to Haku. "People like Sasuke, who can obviously feel emotions, even if they deny them." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and Sai laughed again. "But there are other people, people like Itachi, who have honestly never felt anything, or if they have felt something, the feeling was very limited, and they may try to return to whatever caused it over and over."

"I think there are more than just two kinds of people in the world," Haku replied, not sure of what Sai was talking about but unable to bite back the words that came to him now, the same as before; the biting comments, the rudeness, the person he was used to being.

Sai contemplated this. "Well, it doesn't really matter, I guess," he said, opening his drawing pad.

This was what Sasuke had been waiting for. "Haku, go somewhere else," the Uchiha said as he stood and faced Sai.

Haku blinked at him. The mask had frozen itself on his face, and he found that he was not afraid of Sai, for some reason. "Why, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned to him then, and he narrowed his eyes. "Go. He means business."

Sai waved a finger at him. "As much as I'd like to fight you, Sasuke, I've come here to fight Haku." He turned back to Haku and said, "Please stand, so we may begin."

Still numb, Haku pulled himself to his feet and faced Sai, smiling back at him.

"Haku!" Sasuke shouted at him. A look of worry had fallen across his face, and he stared at Haku and realized that something about him was gone, that Sai had gotten to him but instead of getting pissed or crying like most people, Haku had switched off something inside of himself and he looked like Sai now.

This seemed to please Sai. "Shall we begin?"

Sasuke stared at them helplessly as Sai's brush fell to the page.

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Naruto sat down next to his beloved Sakura at the lunch table, and he grinned as he looked over his tray. "The old lady's still serving the good stuff!" he said happily. Chouji seemed happy with the situation as well; his tray was loaded with desserts.

Ino scoffed when she sat down next to him. "Damn it all to hell, Chouji! You're going to get those twenty pounds back in no time!" The blonde young woman promptly stole three of Chouji's desserts and ran off with them.

Shikamaru glared at her back as he sat down next to Chouji, in the spot Ino usually sat. "Damned annoying girl," he said, "interfering in what's not her business."

Chouji smiled back at him. "I actually got a few extras because I hoped she'd eat them."

His lazy teammate stared at him as if he was insane, and excused himself from the table for a reason unknown to Chouji, who suddenly felt very alone without his best friend and his only female friend by him.

Hinata sat down next to Naruto, and he suddenly stood up, almost knocking the pale-eyed girl's tray down. "Someone's supposed to sit here!" he shouted, pointing at the seat.

She blushed and back away. "I s-s-sorry, N-Naruto…"

Naruto smacked his forehead. "That's not what I meant! You can sit here, but…" he frowned, and Hinata sat down again nervously as he remained standing. "…who is it…"

Shino stared at him as if he was the stupidest person ever born. He had recently returned from a mission with his father. "You're talking about Haku, right?"

The blonde young man clapped his hands together. "That's right! Come to think of it, where is he?" he asked Sakura.

She shrugged. "I haven't seen him since practice."

Naruto looked around at the other Chuunin sitting with him. "Have any of you guys seen Haku?"

His question was met with the shaking of many heads, and he frowned. Naruto thought of the possibilities, and his blue eyes widened suddenly as he came to one of the worse ones.

His former classmates stared as he ran from the dining hall without explanation.

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Iruka sighed as he walked around the temple halls. He pushed one of the doors leading to the training grounds in the center of the temple open with much more gusto than was required; he'd just had a kid sent to Shizune for stabbing himself in the foot with a kunai. The kid was fine, nothing a little healing technique and some pain reliever couldn't take care of, but Iruka knew he was going to catch a lot of shit over the next week and he found himself wondering how kids could be so STUPID.

He heard an odd sound then, and he looked at the lake in the center of the temple. Iruka's heartbeat quickened as he watched a training fight of some kind begin; he saw Sasuke, and the foreign student Haku, and one other person…

Iruka's heart stopped beating for a second, and he ran back into the temple to look for Danzou, or Tsunade, or both.

He knew the moment he saw Sai that this was no training fight.

Sai's primary role was that of an assassin.

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Notes:

For those of you who have not read the manga, Danzou is Sai's superior or something…not an original character. Not much spoilage here.

One more comment about OC's: Kiba's crush is not an original character. She is not a Mary Sue.


	26. Chapter 26

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Six

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

Thanks for 10,000 hits!

Also, there's more art up on my deviantArt page! There's even a picture of Sai, which turned out approximately 1.3 million times better than I expected.

To the manga readers: I may not have written Sai's fighting abilities correctly. Please excuse this.

Also, if you're into NarutoSai please check out my new story "The UsThem Complex".

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Haku dashed towards the lake. An ink-lion Sai had drawn followed him closely, and he had the same bizarre feeling he'd experienced at Gatou's; everything slowed down.

He reached the lake in no time and ran to the middle. Time sped up again, and Sai followed the beast he'd set on Haku, grinning as if he was playing with him, which Sasuke knew Sai planned to do.

The beast skidded across the water as it followed Haku, and to Haku's relief the thing's paws began to dissolve when it touched the surface of the lake. However, the size of the beast and the slow rate of dissolution meant that Haku would not be able to eliminate it in the way he'd originally planned.

"Interesting," Sai said as he sat down by the lake. Haku made a note of this; the artist-nin seemed to have no intention of fighting him himself. He frowned and turned back to face the lion Sai had given life to.

Sasuke was nowhere in sight. Haku wondered about this briefly, and decided that it didn't matter.

_You are nothing to these people anyway. Whether Sasuke disappears from your life today, or in three weeks, it will be the same._

Haku formed the hand seals for the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, and two large water dragons crashed out of the lake. Their creator directed them to attack Sai, and Haku himself ran straight towards the ink lion, planning to dissolve it with water manipulation.

Sai drew out another creature, and a small swarm of ink-black birds formed around him. A third picture gave life to two thin black dragons, which wrapped themselves around Haku's water dragons and committed suicide in the lake. The artist-nin looked at his birds curiously for a moment before releasing them; he did not want to miss whatever Haku was planning.

To Haku's surprise, the water wave he'd sent towards the ink-lion had only taken off the thinnest of layers of the beast, but he shook that off and ran towards it himself. _If it's ink, then it should be made of water, _he thought. He held out his arms as if reaching for the beast, then moved his hands and his wrists.

Sai laughed when the beast didn't move. "What are you doing, Haku?" he asked. "Running out of ideas?"

Haku smiled back at him. "There's not water in this ink, is there?"

"There's a difference between the beasts and the drawings. I thought you would have realized that." And with that, the beast charged Haku.

Ink-forged fangs nearly met at Haku's torso, but the water-nin quickly dropped and kicked upward when he was under the beast. His foot met its underside firmly, almost as if it were an actual animal, but its body as too hard to be flesh. Haku rolled out from underneath the lion, and it quickly changed directions and charged at him again, fangs bared.

He whipped water out of the lake, hand seals and ninjutsu forgotten, and slapped the beast with a hard, heavy wave on its left side. The lion stood up shakily; it seemed as though Haku had ripped one of its joints. Deciding that he liked this strategy, Haku repeated the action from the same side. The lion dodged, but it still suffered a heavy strike and its front left leg dissolved back into ink.

_If he keeps sending these my way, I'll use up all of my energy before I can do anything to him. I need to get that notebook away from him, or he'll just play with me until he kills me._

Haku was already exhausted, but he pulled himself together and repeated the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. Before he attacked, though, he split the dragons apart, sending one towards the ink-lion and the other towards Sai.

Sai was mildly surprised by this, and he created another flock of birds to shield him, but Haku released the jutsu as soon as the snake neared Sai. The dragon melted back into water, soaking Sai, and, more importantly, his notebook.

"You ruined it," the effeminate ninja lamented as he stood and faced Haku. He held up the notebook and looked at it with a blank expression.

"You can't draw anything on that, right?" Haku asked, smiling at Sai. "If you do, the drawing won't come out clearly, and you won't be able to form any more animals correctly."

Sai dropped the notebook. "That's pretty much right, Haku," he said as he reached for the sword on his back. The ink-lion to Haku's side dissolved as Sai stepped onto the water.

_He's going to fight me with his sword? I still can't use taijutsu very well, so I'll combine it with water manipulation. He's too close for me to use the Water Dragon Bullet Technique again, and that takes a lot of energy to use anyway._

Haku readied himself for the fight, and Sai smiled at him, holding his sword at the ready. "I'll give you a handicap, Haku," he said. "You can attack me first."

Not sure of how to use this chance, Haku looked at Sai, and then at their surroundings. He felt a presence around them and guessed that a few ANBU were watching their fight. If they hadn't been stopped by then, though, Haku decided that there was no reason to worry about their interference, so he pushed them out of his head.

_This is Sai's home ground, but if I make it more like mine, maybe I can through off the advantage he'll have from using his sword._

Haku knelt down, and placed both of his palms on the water's surface. He closed his eyes—though only for a moment; he wasn't ready to trust Sai's word—and he concentrated, forming an image of the water below his body turning to ice.

As he did this, he opened his eyes for a moment and saw Sai's feet planted firmly on the surface of the water.

_That's it._

He kept his eyes open this time, and a circle of ice formed and expanded from his palms. When the circle met Sai's feet, though, Haku forced some of the lake water to rise around his ankles and he froze the water then, trapping Sai where he stood.

Sai frowned at this, but he didn't seem too worried. "You really are running out of ideas, aren't you?" he asked Haku with a straight face.

The numb feeling had not yet left Haku, and he felt the smile still frozen on his own face. "I don't see how you could think that right now."

Haku realized that, for one reason or another, the panic and nervousness had left him when he had started his fight with Sai. With his mask on, he was no longer vulnerable. He could have killed Sai, and he felt that then; Sai was, quite possibly, at his mercy. Sai, who had attacked him.

His Master would have been proud.

Haku walked toward Sai slowly. _I might be able to win fights like this. If I can be like this around my opponents, like a weapon…_

He drew a column of water from the ice and wrapped it around Sai's right arm, freezing his arm and the sword in place. Sai blinked as he watched his arm pulled to the side, now useless in the fight, but he still did not panic. His black eyes found Haku's, and he asked, "So, do you think you're doing pretty well, Haku?"

…_my Master wanted me to become strong, to submit to his will, and to be his tool…_

Haku took stock of the situation. Sai was helpless now, wasn't he? He was still so undisturbed, though, and Haku wondered if there was anything he'd missed. Sai couldn't draw, or move, or use his sword, so what was it?

…_if I can do that, he will desire me._

"I don't see why not," Haku answered.

Sai smiled. "Well, then, what are you going to do to me now?"

Haku stared at him. He hadn't thought of that. Sai was trapped, so hadn't be won? He wasn't supposed to kill Sai, was he?

"I…" he forced out. Haku felt his mask drop away, and he shuddered. "This is enough," he said, releasing the ice he'd formed, and Sai stepped away from him while rubbing his cold right arm. Haku suddenly felt sick, and he wasn't sure of what he'd been thinking, or why he'd fought Sai in the first place. He turned around and held his head with one hand, only aware of Sai's presence when he heard his feet stamp across the water.

Haku turned and dodged Sai's sword, watching at the blade cut through the same air his should had occupied moments earlier. He glared at Sai, who smiled back at him. "It's not up to you to say when it's enough," Sai said before attacking again.

The water-nin panicked and 'threw' water at Sai. He dodged the wave as Haku tried to escape, and ran after Haku, shouting, "You're just getting sloppy now, aren't you?"

Haku turned and he drew a wave over his torso, freezing it a moment before Sai's sword crashed down on it, shattering the ice. Haku released the small shield and Sai attacked again, forcing the water-nin to duck, and as he fell he drew three ice needles from the lake and threw them at Sai, trying to hurt him in any way possible.

This small attack took Sai by surprise, and his head turned to the side as the needles scratched his feminine face, making three parallel cuts on his left cheek. Sai let three small rivulets of blood drip down the side of his face as he smiled, stopping his attack.

"You wanted me to look like Naruto?" he asked softly.

Haku watched him in anticipation, and he and Sai were both surprised when they were suddenly surrounded by six ANBU.

One of them, and man wearing a cat mask, took a step forward and said in a low voice, "If either of you attacks again, you will be taken in for an interrogation."

Haku's eyes shot open. Since when had this match become a crime? Sai seemed surprised, too, and he turned to the man in the cat mask.

"I'm only following the order that I was given," he explained.

The ANBU was firm. "Actions of this sort have not been authorized by the Hokage. If you make another move, the head office will begin to look into Ne."

Sai sheathed his sword and turned to Haku, three lines of red marking his face. "It was nice fighting with you, Haku. Maybe we will do it again, another time." He left with that, and two of the ANBU disappeared.

_Are they following him? _Haku thought. _What's happening?_

The ANBU in the cat mask walked up to him. "Please explain what you were doing with Ne's tool."

_Ne's tool? _"He asked me to fight with him."

"You're new to the temple, but it is my duty to tell you that training with him, or fighting him on temple grounds, is not allowed. ANBU and the head office would like to avoid any entanglements with his superiors. If you fight him again, or attack him, then you will be punished for it." With that, the four remaining ANBU pulled out, leaving Haku by himself on the lake.

He fell to the water then, shaking badly.

_What just happened?_

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Naruto watched Haku's fight from inside the temple. When he had run out to find Haku, an ANBU had stopped him and told him that no one was allowed to interfere with Ne's business until an explanation came from the organization. He'd run off to find Tsunade, thinking that she could have made ANBU get off his back (he was very worried about Haku by then) but he found her with Iruka in one of the halls leading to the Ne office. She had brushed him off when he'd tried to ask her a question, and Iruka had even snapped at him and told him to stay out of it.

He was glad that the others were still at lunch. Tsunade had given an order soon after their meeting in the hallway that the fight between Sai and Haku was to be kept a secret, at least until she obtained an explanation from Ne.

Six ANBU dropped down to the lake after the fight, and Naruto watched Sai walk back to the temple first. Sai walked past him about two minutes later, walking towards the infirmary, and Naruto's blue eyes did not miss the cuts on his left cheek.

Once the ANBU had left Haku, Naruto ran from the window he had been watching from and found Haku collapsed on the lake. He stopped running when he reached the shore, though, and he watched Haku, not sure of what to make of the fight he'd seen.

"Hello, Naruto," Haku said softly, his body turned away from the blonde ninja.

Naruto ran onto the lake then, and he sat down in front of Haku. "Sai didn't hurt you, did he? I saw what you did to them, that'll teach him, him and his ugly face--"

He saw Haku then, as if for the first time, and he shut his mouth and waited for Haku to speak again.

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Sai sat idly in one of the infirmary beds as Kabuto spoke with someone at the door to the room. He had already had his cheek bandaged, and he had expected to be gone by then, but someone was making a fuss of some sort and he was a part of it for some reason.

He sighed as he listened to Kabuto talk to the unidentified person. He heard the name 'Ibiki' mentioned, and he wondered why that man would be a part of any of this…

This was Danzou's will, at any rate. He was content to fulfill his duty; it was the hows, not the whys, that concerned him.

His black eyes found Kabuto's calendar on the wall. _Oh, _he thought. _It's almost time for my next mission._

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Haku entered the room he shared with Sasuke and sat down on his bed. The lights were off, but that was the way that he wanted it right then.

He'd had to brush Naruto off earlier; he was in no mood for his company, or anyone's company. He suddenly wished that he could see his Master again.

_I wonder what Master would have done if Sai had attacked us when we were together, _he thought. Sai was probably nothing when compared to his Master, or at least Haku felt safe believing that.

He wanted to train, but he also wanted to be alone, to think about his fight. It seemed as though his battle sense had sharpened through his experience at the temple, but he still had the feeling that Sai had been toying with him throughout the fight; he had looked bored the whole way through, even when Haku found himself struggling or trying to think of ways to fight what Sai threw at him.

Sai had used so little effort, too.

_It wasn't a win. If Master had seen it, he wouldn't have been proud, and he wouldn't have rewarded me later._

Haku felt guilty as soon as the thought entered his head, and he pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging his legs and resting his head on his knees. _Of course he wouldn't have rewarded me. I know that I'm not worth that much to him._

He jerked out of his sitting position when he heard soft knocking on the door. "Haku?"

Haku laid down on his bed. It was Naruto standing outside, and he didn't feel like facing him, not after that fight, and not after pushing him away, so he kept quiet and pretended to be asleep.

"He's sleeping," he heard Sakura say softly. "Just leave him alone."

"But…" Naruto's voice trailed off, and Haku heard no more from either of them. He turned on his side, and he found himself falling asleep before long.

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Zabuza wrapped his face and neck with a thick cloth, laid over his bandages, to fight the cold. He was used to that sort of climate, but he wasn't sure if the fire-nin who would accompany him on the mission would be able to deal with it.

_Well, it'll suck to be him, then._

He chose his largest sword and left his hotel room. It would be an hour before he had to meet Itachi outside the Yukitori clan compound.

Itachi was waiting for him when he arrived, shattering his current expectations of men from the Fire Country—they weren't always late. He nodded at him, and Itachi turned to face the compound.

"I visited the clan a few days ago," Itachi said coldly. "There are about ten adults, and there is one child. Only two of the homes here are occupied. I don't know if the Bloodline Limit is manifested in every clan member, or the extent of the Bloodline Limit."

"Do they know we're coming?" Zabuza asked, not sure of what Itachi meant by 'visit'.

Itachi shook his head. "There is one more thing I can tell you about them: they are unable to sense other's chakra. It should be easy to slip in and kill them one by one." He then pulled a muffler around his face, trying to fight off the cold.

Zabuza's eyes swept over the compound. The collection of buildings looked desolate.

"Has Haku ever been here?" Itachi asked as he wrapped his lower arms in bandages.

Somewhat surprised by the question, Zabuza said, "I don't know."

Itachi gave him a quick glare, but he decided not to vent his frustration on the man. _How could he not know? Haku has a Bloodline Limit. Does he not understand the importance of that? Has he never asked him about his past? These are the responsibilities of teachers._

He finished wrapping his forearms, and closed his eyes, forcing himself to act in a civil manner, before turning back to Zabuza. "I've come here to collect information on Haku's clan. When we return to the temple, I will teach him whatever I've learned about this place. With that in mind, please make careful note of the clan member's abilities. We can learn a lot about Haku's potential from this mission." He steadied himself, and added, "When we return to the temple, I would like for you to help Haku learn how to use his Bloodline Limit."

Zabuza met Itachi's firm, cold stare, and he narrowed his eyes. _Who does he think he is? Arrogant bastard. _"I was planning on seeing Haku soon anyway," he growled. "Maybe we'll get around to that Bloodline stuff, maybe not."

Itachi bit his tongue to keep himself from pursuing the topic. "Are you ready?" he asked.

_Is he trying to take control of the mission? _"Yeah, sure," he said as blandly as he could, and they advanced on the compound.

When they reached the compound, Itachi took one of the houses, leaving Zabuza with five Yukitori clan members. He quickly used the Hiding Mist Technique, and the house became surrounded in a thick mist. Zabuza smiled when he realized that the mist spread over the surrounding houses, and that Itachi would have to deal with it, too.

He heard sounds from inside the house, and he knew that its occupants were probably stumbling over each other in confusion. He closed his eyes, readjusting his senses so that he could leave his ability to find the locations on objects in space to his sense of hearing, and he heard the door fly open.

"What is this?" one of the men asked. Zabuza kept silent. It seemed that he would be able to finish the clan members off rather quickly.

One of the clan members tried to clear the water out of the air, but it was no use; the mist was laden with Zabuza's chakra, and it could not be swept away.

The clan members grew frantic, and Zabuza unbuckled his sword from his back and began his attack with his eyes closed, listening to the sounds of shuffling feet and screams.

Itachi scowled as a thick mist settled into the air surrounding the house he would invade. He did not like such showy displays, but it was too late to undo the jutsu, so he took a deep breath and opened the door to the house he was standing outside. The ANBU had not wanted to use his Sharingan on this mission—he rarely used it anyway—but he activated his Bloodline Limit when he found the mist was too thick to see through. His Sharingan, his sense of hearing and the map he had made in his head three days before allowed him to navigate through the house with moderate success.

Itachi's red eyes found four forms in the main room of the house, and each form was composed of only one chakra circulatory system, so he silently swept through the room, killing each clan member with one strike from his sword. He heard screams next door, and he knew that the panic Zabuza was causing would alert the remaining members of the house to their presence.

He walked down to the hallway and found the other room in the house. Itachi opened the door, and found two forms: the horizontal form he deduced to be the girl he'd seen three days ago, for she was lying down on a bed and there was a smaller chakra circulatory system at her stomach. The third system was small, and Itachi realized that its owner, while not a child, was rather diminutive in size.

"Please don't kill Aka," he heard a low, old voice say, and he knew that it came from the smaller person in the room, a woman in her last years if Itachi's ears didn't fail him. "She holds the last child of our clan. There is no hope for our clan without her child."

His Sharingan fell on the girl, who seemed unconscious. Her chakra circulatory system flickered, and he knew that she must have been rather ill.

"She's coming with us," Itachi said, drawing his sword on the old woman.

She sighed. "Thank goodness. Aka is the only life in this clan."

Itachi killed her quickly.

The girl—Aka, it seemed—moved a little on the bed, but was unable to escape. Itachi cleaned and sheathed his sword before pulling a thick robe from his pack and putting it around her. It was time for him to return to town. The screams from the next house over had ceased, and he knew that Zabuza was finished with his part of the deal. The mist suddenly disappeared, and Itachi was able to look around the room for the second time.

Aka looked to be about twelve or thirteen, and her hair was the same color as Haku's, but cut to shoulder-length. Short bangs covered the top of her forehead, and her skin was pale.

She was sick, and she was pregnant, somehow, and Itachi needed to get her to Konoha for treatment before she died.

Zabuza's heavy footsteps alerted him to his presence, and he turned to see the water-nin standing in the doorway of the room.

His temporary 'partner' took a step back when he saw Itachi. "What happened to your eyes?"

Itachi deactivated his Sharingan. "It's nothing worthy of note," he replied. Zabuza looked past him, to the girl on the bed.

"You're not killing her?"

"Godaime wants all children."

Zabuza looked at her again. "Did she get knocked up?"

Itachi took a breath and grounded out, "This clan had very few children. They probably tried to get her pregnant as soon as she began menstruating in an interest to keep the clan alive."

Zabuza stared at him and the girl for a moment. He had been right to not take an interest in Haku's clan after all, it seemed. "Those guys didn't put up much of a fight," he said, eyeing the old woman whose blood stained the floor of the room. He started to look around the room, reminding Itachi of his other order.

"If you see anything you want, take it. The locals will probably ransack this place when they learn the clan is dead, so Godaime asked me to secure any 'souvenirs' of the clan," Itachi said, turning to Zabuza.

Zabuza laughed. "She said you could take anything you wanted?"

"Actually, she wanted Haku to have some of his family's heirlooms, and she wanted whatever you two couldn't take to stay at the temple as a memory of the clan."

The smile faded from Zabuza's face as Itachi watched him for his reply. "So, this makes Haku the head of his clan, doesn't it?" he asked after a moment.

Itachi nodded. "If you will see him as that."

Zabuza did not respond to the anger seething below Itachi's words. As far as he was concerned, the foreign ninja was too concerned with clans and Bloodline Limits. Instead, he looked around the room, and pulled the pack from his back to load it with Yukitori family heirlooms. Itachi did the same.

The girl on the bed stirred in her sleep, not aware of what was about to happen to her.

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Haku was awoken by a loud knocking on his door. He forced himself out of bed and called out, "Who is it?" before his desire to avoid any curious fire-nin kicked in.

"It's party time!" he heard Naruto shout.

Haku hit his forehead with his palm, and he thought about his options for a moment before opening the door. Naruto walked into the room, accompanied by Kiba and Shikamaru.

"Hey, buddy!" the scarred ninja shouted, as if life was good and nothing strange or bad ever happened. He was dressed differently from usual; he was wearing an short-sleeved, orange button-down shirt and khaki pants. Civilian clothes.

Party clothes.

Kiba and Shikamaru were dressed similarly, and the lazy ninja even wore his hair down, so Haku realized that they were going to the party Tsunade had thrown for the temple (and select village-dwellers). He quickly remembered Hinata, and he guessed that she had worked up the courage to ask Naruto to the party.

Kiba threw open Haku's closet and started to look through his clothing. He whistled. "You don't have much here, do you, Haku?" he asked as he looked through Haku's training robe collection.

Haku shut the door to his closet and stood in front of it, effectively stopping Kiba from looking through his clothes. "My Master…Zabuza must not have thought that I had a need for them," he said.

Shikamaru sat down at the desk at the end of the room. "Sasuke should have stuff you can wear," he said with a yawn before setting his head down on the desk and taking a nap.

Kiba's eyes lit up, and he turned away from Haku and threw open Sasuke's closet.

"Please don't do that," Haku said. Naruto tackled him (to his horror) and sat on him, grinning.

"So Sasuke's clothes are kind of gay, sure, but he's a good dresser," Kiba said as he looked through the Uchiha's closet. "Granted, there's lot of black in here…" he looked on a shelf. "Damn, he has make-up…"

"Probably trying to look like Itachi," Naruto said with a smirk. "Though Itachi's cooler, so he can pull it off."

Haku tried to push Naruto off of him, but Naruto weighed quite a bit and Haku gave up after a while, somewhat happy that the scarred ninja would try to make him feel better. He did want to be alone, though…

The odd scene was interrupted when Sasuke opened the door to the room. He saw Naruto sitting on Haku, Shikamaru sleeping at his desk, and Kiba looking through his clothes. Torn between getting angry and walking away (pretending that he had never seen anything), Sasuke chose the former.

"What the FUCK are you guys doing?" he shouted, directing the statement entirely in Naruto's direction.

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you know, we're going to the party tonight, but Haku doesn't have anything to wear, so…"

Sasuke scowled at him before heaving Naruto off the water-nin and pulling him to his feet. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Haku smiled weakly. "Yes, I guess I'm a--"

"Okay," Sasuke said quickly. He turned on Kiba, pulling him out of his closest. As the dog-trainer tried to argue with him, Sasuke pulled a shirt and a pair of pants out of his closet and handed them to Haku. He then turned to each other student in the room (except for Shikamaru; there was no use).

"If ANY of you ever look through my shit again, I will kill you." he said, trying to sound as serious as possible.

Haku looked over the clothes Sasuke had handed him. Kiba seemed right about Sasuke's taste in clothes.

"Now," Sasuke said, looking through his closet for clothes for himself. He pulled out a black shirt and black pants, and a pair of black shoes. Turning back to the other Chuunin, he continued. "I'm going to the restroom to change. If any of you, even Shikamaru, are here when I get back—except for Haku, because this is his room—I will pants you at the party."

Haku's eyes shot open as Sasuke glared each of the others down. It was the oddest threat he had ever heard, but it seemed effective, because Naruto laughed nervously and Shikamaru sat up, glaring at Sasuke.

His threat laid down, Sasuke took a bottle of black nail polish from his closet and left the room.

Naruto laughed when he was gone. "Pants us? Sai would LOVE that, as much as he talks about my dick…"

Haku's heart stopped beating for a moment when Naruto nonchalantly dropped the artist-nin's name, and Naruto stopped laughing as he recalled what he'd seen earlier that day.

"But, you know," Naruto said, "he probably won't be there--"

Shikamaru suddenly pulled Naruto towards the door. "Come on, let's go, I don't want to make an Uchiha mad at me," he said.

Naruto nodded. "See you at the party, Haku!" he said as he left. Kiba followed them and shut the door, leaving Haku to change into Sasuke's clothes.

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Zabuza left the law office a few hours later. Itachi had the girl, and they had both kept their 'findings' in their own hotel rooms. As far as he knew, Itachi had not told anyone from the village that he'd let the girl live.

In his own room, Itachi watched the girl who was sleeping on his bed. He was certain that she couldn't have been older than fourteen, but she looked like she was about five months into her pregnancy. The Uchiha clan was large, so they did not have to resort to impregnating girls as soon as they came of age.

He was glad that he had found a child, though; Haku would be able to meet another member of his clan. There was also the chance that he girl knew about their Bloodline Limit, and that she may have been able to give him information concerning it.

He had agreed to leave with Zabuza the next day, and he hoped that the water-nin would not break that promise and skip out on seeing his student.

On the bed, Aka took a deep breath. Itachi frowned. She had not fully awaken during the trip there, or even afterwards—and his efforts to wake her had been unsuccessful. He knew from the pale shade of her skin that she was horribly sick, and he wanted to get her to the temple for treatment. Itachi doubted that the town's doctors would be able to do much good for her, and he didn't want to have to deal with any questions concerning her pregnancy.

He knew that her pregnancy would cause some commotion at the temple, too, but he trusted Tsunade with Aka's health.

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The party (the first one of the evening) was held in the dining hall of the temple. The normal rectangular tables had been replaced with circular ones, and the lighting had been softened. A small band played in one of the corners, and Haku watched a few of the teachers, temple elders, and villagers dance.

It was rather obvious that this party was not held for the students, as every Chuunin from the temple had congregated at one round table, and no one under the age of twenty-five was dancing.

Haku sat down at the crowded Chuunin table next to Hinata. She was wearing a white dress and a pearl necklace, and her pale eyes were fixed on Naruto as soon as he entered the room.

Naruto was about to sit down next to Haku when he saw Hinata. He seemed torn for a moment, then he turned around and Haku watched in morbid fascination as Naruto hit himself in the forhead, not with his palm but with his fist (and rather loudly) before turning to Hinata and asked, "Hinata, would you like to dance?"

She blushed, and looked like she was about to die. "Y-yes, Naruto," she said. He held out his hand, she took it, and they walked to the dance floor.

Haku smiled and he found Kiba. "I'm glad that she asked him out."

"Well…" Kiba looked away and frowned.

Haku watched him, confused. "What?"

He shook his head. "Hinata…got nervous…" He leaned closer to Haku and whispered, "You remember Sasuke's threat? It works pretty well."

Haku stared at him and leaned back, disappointed. He watched Naruto try to copy Asuma and Kurenai on the dance floor while Hinata stood stiffly, too afraid to tell Naruto that she knew how to dance. "So…"

Kiba sighed. "I know, but I just couldn't stand it."

"Why did you try to set them up?"

"She's been in love with him for so damned long, that's why," Kiba growled. "He's an idiot who doesn't know anything about girls, and I don't know how soon he'll learn if left on his own, so I wanted Hinata to get a shot at being the person to teach him. And she'll be happy like this."

Kiba told him this with complete and utter sincerity, and Haku felt bad for doubting his intentions.

Kiba…cared about Hinata.

Enough to push her into this uncomfortable situation.

And she cared about him enough to force him to talk to the girl he liked.

The girl Kiba had asked out in town appeared in the doorway, and Kiba stood up and waved her over. They began to talk again, and Haku watched the people on the dance floor. Hinata had taken control of the situation to a small degree, and was in the process of trying to show Naruto how to dance while blushing an unnatural shade of red.

He noticed that two of the teachers he'd met before then were dancing…Asuma and Kurenai, if he remembered correctly. He supposed that it was only natural for something like that to happen.

Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru had left the table, and they were all talking to what seemed to be older versions of themselves. Shikamaru's dad slapped him on the back jokingly while they talked, and he self-consciously touched his hair and said something back to his father. Chouji spoke with his own father, who was gorging on whatever food Tsunade had ordered for the party, and Chouji stared at a piece of cake before Ino flicked his ear and shouted at him. Ino's father looked a little frightened of her, but he shook it off and he started to ask his daughter about something that Haku couldn't hear.

He noticed the Hokage on the dance floor, and to his surprise, she was dancing with Naruto's guardian. She seemed incredibly inebriated and, if Haku had been able to understand Yondaime's smile, he would have known that the blonde man though Tsunade's drunkenness was funny as hell. She soon left the dance floor and fell asleep at a table.

Kiba and his crush left for the dance floor, and Haku sat back in his chair. He hoped that Naruto's 'party' would start soon, because it sounded a lot more interesting than this one, but he hoped that Hinata would get a few more minutes dancing with Naruto first.

Sakura sat down next to him. "Lonely, huh?" she asked.

He turned to her and smiled. "Just a little. Care to join me?"

She gave him a look. "You mean, dancing?"

He held up his hands defensively. "No, just talking."

"I guess," Sakura said. She sighed. "I want to dance, but considering the guys here…" Sakura's voice trailed off when Sasuke joined them.

Haku stole a glance at Sasuke's black fingernails. He had seen Itachi's violet nails a few days ago, and he realized that Sasuke may have been trying to emulate his older brother.

Sasuke started to tap his foot to the music. The song ended, and a slow one took its place; soon after, Naruto practically ran from the dance floor and sat down next to Sakura. He pulled her closer, and asked, "Why…does…Hinata…want…to…dance with me?" Naruto's face was red, though no where as near as Hinata's.

"Um…" Sakura snuck a look at Sasuke, and he gave her a look saying, 'don't expect me to explain it to him'. She smiled at Naruto, and said, "Well, boys and girls do those sorts of things sometimes."

Naruto sighed at held his hands up in exasperation. "But why ME? I hate dancing! I wouldn't even want to dance with a girl I LIKED!" He turned to Haku. "Do you know? I mean, seriously, please tell me."

Haku smiled a little. "No, Naruto, I can't say that I do."

Naruto slumped forward and let his head hit the table. "I don't get girls…"

"It's because you're RETARDED," Sasuke said under his breath.

"You like girls, though, don't you Naruto?" Haku asked him.

Naruto turned his head so that he was facing Haku. "Well, of course, but I also like other things that I don't understand…" He frowned.

"You don't understand a LOT of things." Sakura said with a smile. She turned back to the dance floor and watched Tsunade try to dance with Yondaime again. He openly laughed at her now. "Maybe there are some things that I don't understand either."

Sasuke tugged on Haku's sleeve, and he turned to face the black-haired young man. "Haku," Sasuke whispered.

Haku leaned in. "What is it?"

"…you doing okay?"

Though he thought the question was odd, Haku just smiled back. "Of course!" He didn't know why Sasuke would worry about him, at least not right then.

Sasuke gave him a look before leaning back in his own chair. Sasuke raised her eyebrows at him and he shrugged in response.

Naruto sat up. "No fair! What's up with these secrets all of a sudden!"

Haku wondered that, too.

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They snuck out of the party as soon as Kiba could say goodnight to this crush and as soon as Shikamaru could get away from his dad. The four young men quickly ran back to their rooms and changed into ANBU uniforms that Naruto had pilfered before meeting again at the men's bathroom.

Naruto passed out four masks when they had gathered. "Okay," he said, turning to Kiba. "You have the spray paint?"

Kiba held up a bag, and he said, "Yeah, I brought ten cans. It should be enough."

Haku shivered in nervous anticipation. It was really happening; they were really going to…

Shikamaru tied his hair back up, remembering what his father had told him earlier. Haku tied his back, too, as Naruto continued.

"Alright, let's go, he said." Shikamaru pulled his deer mask onto his face; Kiba, his dog mask; Naruto, his fox mask; and Haku, an otter mask.

"You know," Shikamaru said as they left the temple, "everyone's going to know who we are if they see our masks."

Naruto shushed him. "Quit your bitching already. No one knows what we're up to."

Haku followed them as they jumped into a tree near the Hokage's office, then Naruto opened the window from the outside and jumped into the room. Shikamaru was next. Kiba helped to pull him into the room as soon as he'd entered, and Haku shut the window behind him silently.

He wasn't sure of what it was that had interested him in this 'party'; he knew that one reason may have been Naruto's enthusiasm. Haku had also never heard of spray paint before, much less what one could do with it when they were on the property of someone they didn't like, and although he didn't dislike the Hokage he felt that she was a strong enough person to be able to recover from the vandalism that he was about to be a part of.

Kiba threw him a can of red spray paint, and he stared at it, not sure of what to do. Naruto was already shaking his green can, so Haku copied him. Shikamaru took a white can, and Kiba a brown one, and the room was filled with the sounds of metal clanking on metal as each ninja worked himself up for what he was about to do.

Naruto jumped onto Tsunade's desk and held his can up to the wall behind her chair. He sprayed something onto the wall in large, block-style letters, and Haku couldn't read it at first but when Naruto was done, he found that the message said:

KONOHA RULEZ

The others had also begun; Kiba was writing out a lengthy message, while Shikamaru had just settled for playing tic-tac-toe with himself. Naruto moved on to the next wall and he drew a gigantic frog.

Haku stared at the office as its black-and-white walls were painted. He wondered what he could write, and he realized that he had nothing to write. Haku couldn't think of one thing he wanted to say, and then, when he did think of something, he wrote it down as soon as he could, not bothering to worry about the message's content.

FOR YOU I WILL BECOME STRONGER

Kiba looked at the red message over his shoulder. "That's kind of cool," he said. Turning back to his own wall, Kiba wrote:

I LOVE YOU KAEDE

Shikamaru laughed, and Kiba blushed and glared at him. "Shut up, lazy-ass," Kiba said, throwing his can at his ridiculer.

Haku felt vulnerable, too, and he wasn't sure of his message, just as Kiba wasn't sure of his. That was what he felt, though, and through his embarrassment he could feel his will rising in his chest.

He now had a reason to like tagging. It allowed him to express and cement what he'd felt. Haku's desire was no longer transient.

Haku looked around the walls of the room. Naruto had drawn spirals on each wall, then had taken a break to write:

FUCK SAI

in big block letters. Haku stared at the name and found himself laughing, even though he knew it was wrong. Naruto grinned at him and moved on to another message.

Haku looked at his message again, and he felt like he was finished. He let his arm fall to his side, and he suddenly became aware of the clanking sound of a can of spray paint being shaken. Haku realized that the sound had persisted for the last few minutes, and he froze.

The others heard it now, too, and they all turned around.

The man standing with them in the room was none other than Yondaime. He was still dressed in party clothes, and he looked much like an older version of Naruto; they had been wearing the same clothing, except for the fact that Yondaime's shirt was a different color. Now, though, a mischievous expression had lit up the blonde man's face, and he looked even more like his charge as he shook a can of yellow paint.

Shikamaru's jaw fell slack. "Yon…Yondaime…"

The man grinned. Kiba dropped his can and lowered his head in shame, and Naruto just stared at his guardian, not quite sure of what to do. Haku watched him silently. He had known that certain risks would be involved that night, and he had been prepared for whatever would happen if they were to be caught.

"Hey…" Naruto said, taking a step forward. "Um, you know, we were just…"

Yondaime smiled and Naruto shut up. His guardian looked around the room and said, "You know, I never liked how Tsunade redecorated my old office. There was never enough…color."

With that, he walked up to the least-decorated wall in the office and wrote, to the other's astonishment:

YONDAIME WUZ HERE

with a backwards r in the word 'here'.

Relief flooded Haku's chest, and the others started to laugh. Yondaime turned around and surveyed their work.

His eyes landed on Haku's message, and he smiled at Haku. "That's very nice. It's better to leave behind positive messages, than negative ones."

Haku could only nod as Yondaime turned to face the large message Naruto had left. "Naruto, no good can come of this," he said, pointing to the words 'Fuck Sai'.

Naruto walked over to his guardian. "I'm sorry, Yondaime," he said, bowing. Haku was a little surprised about the sudden change in Naruto's behavior.

Yondaime shook his head. "You need to know that things like this will only deepen that boy's wounds."

And with that, Yondaime took Naruto's green spray paint and started to spray over the message. The Chuunin watched as he drew the letters' mirror, on both the horizontal and vertical axes and then used his own yellow to fill in whatever bits of the wall hadn't been covered with green paint. The result looked nothing like Naruto's insult.

Yondaime threw his can to the ground. "Well, I think that's enough. You kids can leave the way you came in, and don't let anyone catch you with those uniforms or masks."

Naruto suddenly came back to life. "No one knows we did this, right?"

His guardian smiled. "No. Two ANBU guards tried to follow Haku at first, but I asked to go in their place. I'll tell them that we all went to the village and that I got all of you drunk as punishment for not enjoying the dance. Just act like you have headaches tomorrow and no one will be any the wiser."

As he turned to leave, Haku noticed that Yondaime hadn't changed the original message he'd left.

"Yondaime, sir?" he asked softly.

Surprised, the blonde man turned around. "Yes?"

Haku pointed to the message. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"

Yondaime smiled. "No one will believe it was me anyway," he said as he left.

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The next morning, Tsunade opened the door to her office…

…and screamed.

Not ten minutes later, Naruto, Haku, and Sasuke stood in her office. She fumed at them, staring them down, and Sasuke wondered how he'd got pulled into this.

"Now," she said to them, "I know Uzumaki was a part of this."

"No I wasn't!"

"And Uchiha, you have the motive."

He stared at her as if she was insane. "The WHAT?"

Tsunade stood in front of him anD stared him down as he looked back at her unbelievingly. "I was chosen as the Hokage over your brother."

"…I don't care…"

She eyed Haku. "You're Naruto's friend, and you were seen leaving the party early. You're not really my student, so I have to dismiss you. I've got my eye on you, though," she said, staring him down through her hangover.

"Y-yes, Miss Tsunade," he said nervously. Naruto watched him, and Haku smiled back guiltily as he left the office.

Sasuke scowled. He was going to kill Naruto.

The Godaime turned back to Naruto before pointing at Yondaime's message.

"DID YOU HONESTLY THINK I WAS GOING TO BELIEVE THAT?"

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Haku walked around the temple grounds. Sakura was training with a woman named Shizune, and he was supposed to train with Team Ten starting that day anyway, but they were no where to be found.

He continued to walk, and he decided that they weren't inside the training grounds, so Haku considered looking for them outside the temple and he eventually decided to do this, hoping that the gatekeeper would let him through or at least tell him if they were outside.

To his surprise, he found Kabuto talking to the gatekeeper.

"He doesn't know the password."

Kabuto shrugged. "Let him in."

"But," the guard said, looking at some man on the other side of the gate, "Miss Hinata has read his signature, and--"

"I know him. I asked for him to come here," Kabuto said firmly. The gates opened, and Haku saw none other than his Master standing outside.

Kabuto noticed him then, and he grinned. "It looks like you Master came back early."

Haku stared at Zabuza, and his heart began pounding in his chest as he waited for an order.

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	27. Chapter 27

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Seven

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

New Haku-centric art up! There's even a smutty picture entitled "Zabuza and Haku on the Floor." Hm, I wonder what that could be.

Remember, to see Folded Hands art go to my profile and follow the link to my deviantArt Gallery. To see all of my stuff, click the 'gallery' button.

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"I know him. I asked for him to come here," Kabuto said firmly. The gates opened, and Haku saw none other than his Master standing outside.

Kabuto noticed him then, and he grinned. "It looks like your Master came back early."

Haku stared at Zabuza, and his heart began pounding in his chest as he waited for an order.

When Zabuza walked past him with Kabuto at his heels, he decided that his Master did not want to make a scene, or that he had more important things on his mind than his slave. Having discerned this, Haku re-entered the temple so that his Master would know where to find him when he needed him. He watched him disappear around a corner, talking quietly to Kabuto as they walked in the direction of the Hokage's office.

Haku let out a deep breath when his Master was out of sight. It would be wrong for him to demand his attention. He was not so important to his Master, after all.

Something in his chest burned, and Haku bit his lip, trying to silence his longing for the man who owned him.

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Aka had woken, after all, but she immediately entered a coughing fit that worked it way into her caretakers' nerves. Itachi sat by her bed, unable to do anything for her because he had no medical experience, while Zabuza tried to relax in a nearby chair, keeping te girl off his mind as much as he could.

Itachi frowned as another round of coughing wracked her body. Without looking at Zabuza, he said, "We can't travel until her condition improves."

Zabuza snorted. "Maybe she'll just die."

The fire-nin shook his head. "Children of the Yukitori clan usually don't live past the age of eight. She's lived this long, so her body can probably tolerate whatever sickness she's suffering from, even if it weakens her."

"Whatever."

Itachi stood and reached for his coat. "I'm going to get a doctor from the town. He won't be able to cure her, but if we can do something about her coughing and shaking we'll be able to travel with her then." He gave Zabuza a look, as if to say, 'And we're not going to push her' as he closed the latches on his coat.

As he left the room, he added, "Watch her while I'm out."

Itachi left, and Zabuza snorted again. "Like there's anything I can do for you," he grumbled as he watched Aka curl up on the bed and cough herself to death.

He watched her, though. Zabuza knew that Itachi was trying to keep the girl a secret, and that was why they hadn't brought her to a doctor immediately. He also knew that it would be the equivalent of homicide if he didn't take her to a doctor if she started to turn worse, and though Zabuza was rather experienced with homicide he didn't really want to kill the weak little girl on the bed. There was no reason for it, other than to shut her up of course, but that still wasn't a good enough reason.

She stilled, and his attention snapped to her. Aka seemed to have fallen asleep.

_Was Haku like this when he was younger?_

The image of a younger Haku lying sick in bed changed his opinion of the girl. If it had been Haku, he wouldn't have cared about any doctor discovering his identity. Haku would be in the hospital now, and Zabuza would have been the one sitting by the bed, worry consuming his concentration, his eyes fixed on Haku's face, looking to pick up any change in his condition.

Aka did look like Haku, though, and Zabuza knew that two people from a clan that small must have been closely related. They could have been cousins. They could have been siblings.

Zabuza sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He was going stiff from sitting in his chair, so he stood to stretch.

The sudden movement awoke Aka, and she turned around and stared at him for a moment before screaming.

He immediately walked over to the bed and clamped his hand over her mouth, whispering, "Shut up, shut up, shut up," and she fell silent for a moment before another coughing fit overtook her body. Zabuza released her and she fell limp to the bed, one hand covering her mouth as she tried to watch Zabuza.

"Look," he said, and she shrank back from his loud voice, "I'm not going to kill you."

Aka continued to stare.

Zabuza sighed. Fuckin' kids. "We're bringing you back to a temple in the Fire Country," he said when he coughs subsided.

"Why?"

Her voice was scratchy, telling of her sickness. Zabuza shook it off; she'd get better, there was no use worrying about little things like that.

She looked around. "Where am I? Where is my family?"

There were no good answers to the second question, so Zabuza just gave her a bad one. "Your family members were killing people and destroying the village, so I and some other guy killed them. We won't kill you, though, because you're just a kid." Her eyes widened and she tried to back away from him, and she fell over the edge of the bed. He met this reaction with a blank, unamused stare, and she crawled backwards toward the nearest wall as if to protect herself.

Zabuza rolled his eyes and decided to let her bed. "You're in a hotel in White Town right now. Any other questions?"

She covered her head with her arms, and said, "Don't do it to me."

He gave her a look. "What?"

She started to shake. "It's already in there. Nothing else can go in there right now."

_Is she talking about...sex? _Zabuza's eyes narrowed. Judging from her terror she did seem to be talking about sex, or more likely rape, considering her circumstances.

He rolled his eyes. Why couldn't Itachi have dealt with this crap? It would have been funny to hear the girl call Itachi a child molester, but himself? "No one's going to do 'it' to you."

"But…we're in a room together."

"Yeah. We can watch over you this way."

"I know what happens when I'm alone in a room with a man."

Zabuza shook his head and Aka watched him, waiting for him to attack her. "Well, if someone told you that was what was supposed to happen, they were lying. Neither I, or that other guy, or anyone at the temple…probably…" he added, because he didn't know much about Konoha Temple, "…are going to do that to you."

"Liar."

He narrowed his eyes at her and she returned the look with a blank glare, as if she was actually waiting for it to happen, and Zabuza was the one who didn't know what was supposed to happen.

Zabuza slumped back down into his chair. "Whatever. Don't talk to me anymore. That other guy is going to be back soon and he's bringing a doctor with him."

"A…what?"

He gave her a look. "A doctor. Someone who takes care of you when you're sick."

Aka blinked at him, and he shook his head. "Never mind, you'll see when he comes."

Zabuza closed his eyes and hoped that she wouldn't start talking again. It was bad enough that they were being kept behind because of her; he wouldn't stand to listen to a little girl, even if she was a relative of Haku's, insult him by calling him a rapist.

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Team Ten came back to the temple during lunch. Haku was sitting with Naruto then, watching for any sign of his Master in the dining hall.

He forced a smile to his face when Shikamaru sat down across from him. The lazy ninja took one look at him and said, "Sorry about earlier today. Godaime gave us a mission and made us leave before daybreak."

"It's okay," Haku said. He really, honestly didn't care; his Master was back at the temple, and even if he was going to leave again soon, Haku knew that he would probably get a chance to talk to the man, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Chouji and Ino joined them, and Haku ate in silence as his dark eyes darted around the dining hall. At long last, he saw his Master enter the room with Asuma and Kurenai, and the man glanced at him for a moment before entering the private dining room with them.

There was contempt in that glance, and Haku didn't miss it.

He set his chopsticks down and stared at his food as he wondered what he'd done. One of the teachers may have told his Master about Haku's progress, or lack thereof, and perhaps the man was angry with him for that. Or maybe Yondaime had jokingly told him about Haku's brief foray into vandalism, and his Master intended to punish him for it. Or had he accidentally been rude again when his Master reentered the temple? Had his Master learned of his illegal fight with Sai?

Naruto suddenly slapped him hard on the back, and he jumped out of his chair, holding one chopstick to Naruto's throat as he stood over him.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he laughed. "That was great!" he shouted. Haku blushed when he realized that he'd drawn the attention of the other Chuunin at the table, and he quickly sat down without making any noise. He set his chopsticks down and tried to compose himself as Naruto put his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" the blonde ninja asked, and Haku forced himself to smile again.

"Yes," he said, "I'm actually rather excited because my Master came back to the temple today."

Naruto frowned. "I was kind of hoping he'd never come back." He snuck a look at Haku. "He's not going to take you away yet, is he?"

Haku blinked, and he looked away as he tried to think of the best answer to that question. He actually had no idea as to what his Master's intentions were, since the man had not spoken to him upon returning to the temple. "I don't know," he admitted. "He was busy when he came into the temple, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him."

Naruto folded his arms and scowled. "Well, he shouldn't take you away yet! You still have a lot of training to do here with us, and it would be mean to take you away when you haven't finished it!"

His voice had risen, and a few of the other Chuunin fell silent as they listened to Naruto. Embarrassed, Naruto unfolded his arms and began to shovel food into his mouth, hoping no one would find any reason to stare at him any more.

"I don't think he's going to take me away, though," Haku said as he picked up his chopsticks. His food had cooled considerably, but he began to eat it slowly. "He made an agreement with the Hokage that I would remain here for a month, and that month has not passed."

Naruto nodded. "And, remember what I told you."

"What?" Haku asked. He looked away from his food to see Naruto had stopped eating, and was staring at his own plate, a look of seriousness on his face. Naruto turned to him and smiled as widely as he could.

"You know, that day you told me that I did something that looked stupid."

"Oh."

_You mean, Naruto, that I am welcome to part with my Master and stay at the temple._

Naruto began to eat again, though not with as much gusto as before, and Haku returned to his food. They ate in silence, and Haku hoped that he would never accidentally take that offer.

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Itachi watched the town doctor look over Aka. She stared at both of them, her eyes round and her expression undecipherable, as she received what Itachi guessed was her first-even medical examination. She did not speak while the doctor looked over her, though, and Itachi knew that there was a good possibility that any input from her would have complicated the situation.

The doctor's eyes widened when he saw Aka's abdomen, and Itachi shook his head, already knowing the question on the man's lips. "It's not mine, or my traveling companion's," he said firmly.

The doctor paused his examination. "Then whose is it?"

"I don't know. We found her a few days ago, and I was worried when realized how sick she was. It seems as though she doesn't have any family to care for her, and she was left to die on the street."

The doctor gave Itachi a look saying that he didn't buy that story one bit, and he continued to examine Aka. "Her condition is terrible. I doubt that she'll be able to carry the child to term. I can't believe that _some people _would do this to a child."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the doctor's back. He knew that no good would come of further refuting his identity as the child's father, though, so he kept quiet and waited for the doctor's report.

Zabuza had left the hotel without explanation, but he had left his belongings to Itachi didn't worry about him running off. He knew that the water-nin was sick of Aka, and he hoped that nothing distressing had happened when he had left them alone together.

"Well," the doctor said after a few minutes, "I can do something about that coughing." He opened his bag and handed Itachi a few vials of pale pink liquid. "Have her take one of these by mouth each morning, at least until you can have another doctor see her."

"Is there anything else wrong with her?" Itachi asked.

The doctor shook his head. "Other than the fact that she's pregnant, yes. It seems as though she might have a respiratory infection, and her hearing could be permanently damaged if the infection finds its way to her ears. Her body is also extremely weak, so you'll need to watch what you feed her. Don't overexert her, or her condition will worsen."

Itachi nodded. "Thank you for your assistance," he said.

"Glad to be of service." The doctor rubbed his chin. "Now, the matter of payment…"

The fire-nin pulled out the wallet he used for mission expenditures and paid the doctor. When the man had left, Itachi pulled another blanket down from the hotel closet's upper shelf and laid if over Aka. She had fallen asleep again, a quiet sleep this time, and Itachi sighed as he dropped back down into the chair next to Aka's bed.

Sasuke had fallen sick several times as a child, and one time had had become almost as sick as this girl. There was one year when snow fell over Konoha Village near the end of winter, and the academy faculty called it a snow day, even though the snow did not pose any threat to travelers and the snow day actually increased outdoor activities. Sasuke had come home immediately, of course, because he knew his parents would expect him to return home and not to play with the other children. He had studied that day, and when the snow stopped falling at night Fugaku had taken him outside for weapons practice.

Itachi was a fifteen-year old ANBU captain that year. He came back from a mission late that night. The house was dark, and it was only the muffled sounds of snow and cloth that had told Itachi that he was not alone outside.

He had activated his Sharingan, and to his surprise what he found was not a burglar or a small animal but his little brother building a snowman.

Sasuke froze when he realized his brother was standing over him, and Itachi laughed softly and patted him on the head. "Did you sneak out, little brother?" he asked softly.

Without waiting for Sasuke to answer, Itachi picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. "Put me down!" Sasuke hissed.

"It's bed time," Itachi said as he carried Sasuke into the house. It seemed as though Sasuke had been outside for quite some time, because he woke up the next morning with a violent cough and a dangerous fever.

Itachi had luckily not had a mission for the next three days, so he stayed home and looked after Sasuke while Fugaku went to the office. Their mother had dropped in from time to time to find Itachi sitting near Sasuke's bed as he filled out ANBU reports, and she had decided to leave them alone, hoping that the time they spent together would improve Itachi's temperament.

He now watched over Aka, and he found himself smiling as he reminisced.

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The snowfall in White Town had ceased, so the snow that was crunched under Zabuza as he walked around the dismal town had turned at dirty shade of brown from constant trampling with muddy shoes. The water-nin walked around the town, the desire to breathe fresh air overpowering the desire to stay indoors.

Aka's presence had worn down his nerves, and he couldn't stand to be around her, at least not until later that night when she would be sleeping. There wasn't much for him to do outdoors, but he could clear his head.

He wanted to see Haku again. Zabuza had realized after leaving his slave at the temple that Haku's presence was somewhat enjoyable. He would have preferred working with Haku to working with Itachi. This was not to say that Zabuza hadn't liked Itachi as a partner; they seemed to have an understanding, a don't-talk-to-me understanding, and Zabuza had liked that. The difference was that Itachi did not want to speak to him, and that Haku did want to speak to him, though not about things that normal people would talk about.

Zabuza was not lonely. It was Haku he wanted, and not Haku's absence that he loathed. Freedom was wonderful, even if that freedom meant freedom from Haku. His slave had proven to be interesting, though, and he wanted to see him again because he had recently realized that he knew very, very little about Haku.

The sky had darkened, so he turned around and started to walk back to the hotel. Zabuza wondered if Itachi was going to take the second bed in the room. He didn't really care about who slept on the floor, but if that issue turned into an argument, he knew that he would start to care. He reasoned that he could actually check out another room, and he decided that he would do so upon returning to the hotel.

He wouldn't have to listen to that girl cough anymore.

Zabuza sighed. This mission had become bothersome, and he couldn't wait to get rid of the girl and Itachi.

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Haku saw his Master in the hall after dinner that night. He looked around the hallway to make sure that his Master was not busy speaking with anyone before walking up to him and bowing.

His heart pounded in his chest as he said, "Hello, Master," in as steady a voice as he could.

"What do you want?"

Haku straightened his back. The look of contempt had returned to his Master's face, and Haku had to fight not to take a step back to try to escape from his glare. "May I speak with you in your room, Master?"

His Master gave him a look, then shrugged. "Sure, kid," he said.

Haku followed him, his heart racing, as his Master walked back to his room. Once they were both inside, the urge to have some sort of bodily contact with the man started to build up inside of Haku, but he swallowed it back down, not wanting to upset his Master.

His Master folded his arms as he looked at him. "What was it you wanted to talk about, Haku?" he asked sternly.

"I…I wanted to see if you wanted anything from me, Master." he said softly.

"Anything?"

"Yes, Master."

His Master took a step toward him and touched his chin gently, looking over his face. The act startled Haku but he kept his mouth shut. If his Master wanted to look at him, then he could only feel proud for being worth looking at.

He was further startled when his Master leaned down and whispered in his ear, "When as pretty a boy as you says something like that, they have to think twice about what it might mean."

Haku blushed and looked away. "If…if you want that, Master, I…I'll let you do whatever you want, of course." This was only natural. His Master owned his body, after all, so Haku didn't need to offer himself to him. He was there for the taking.

His Master suddenly pushed him against the wall and pinned his wrists on either side of his head. Haku took this as submissively as he could, wondering what had happened to make his Master act this way.

"Haku," his Master growled into his ear, "you came here to let me fuck you? You came here to kiss my ass, did you?"

He was released, and his Master glared at him. "You're disgusting. Get out of here, and stay out of my sight. If I want you, I'll come get you. Is that understood?"

Haku slumped back against the wall. "Y-yes, Master," he choked out as he watched his Master, waiting for his next move.

The man pulled him away from the wall and pushed him towards the door. "Are you deaf?" he shouted as Haku stumbled backwards. "I said, GET OUT!"

Haku found the door knob behind him and nearly fell out of the room. His Master slammed the door shut and locked it, leaving Haku shaking on the floor.

He stood slowly, his body still shaking, and he gave his Master's door a glance before making his way back to his room.

_Master…what happened?_

Haku dragged his feet, avoiding everyone who passed him in the hall. _I…did I do something wrong? I should have said no, that I didn't mean something like that, that I meant only a normal order…I was going to let him…he must think I'm rather desperate, to want to get back into bed with him. We only slept together once, after all…_

Tears began to burn down the sides of his face, and he lamented what he'd said and done, wishing that his Master would be able to forgive him someday.

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	28. Chapter 28

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Eight

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

There is more art up, including a silly little comic about Zabuza, Haku, and two apples.

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Haku ran by himself the next morning, ate breakfast without a word, and began to train with Team Ten. He was unable to stop thinking of his Master, wondering why he had treated him so differently from before. It was true that his Master was rough with him, and that he was a stern, strict teacher, but he had never lashed out at Haku like that, or thrown him away, without telling him what he'd done and asking Haku if he understood.

Last night, his Master had been _vicious_.

Pulling his attention away from his worries, Haku side-stepped Chouji's punch and continued with his defensive stance. The two other members of Team Ten had very little to teach him, as neither specialized in taijutsu and neither wanted to teach him their clan's secret techniques, leaving Chouji to train him as Shikamaru wandered off, saying something about Sandaime and shougi, and Ino painted her nails as she sat on the grass in the training grounds, glancing up every once in a while to watch Haku's training.

Haku had been somewhat surprised by Chouji's strength. It was to be expected that some of the ninja's extra body mass must have been muscle, and not the fat that it looked like, but when Chouji attacked him it felt like it was all muscle, and he found that whenever he attacked Chouji that the other young man barely took any damage. The only advantage he had in his training fight with Chouji was his speed, and so far that had only enabled him to dodge his instructor's blows.

He let his body take over as his thoughts returned to his Master. If he had done something terrible, he would have been able to understand the way the man had acted toward him, so he thought back to the night before, trying to recall any other mistakes on his part besides seeming a little too willing to get into bed with his Master. He had not been disrespectful, or insulted his Master. There was the chance that one of the teachers at the temple had informed his Master of his progress, and that the man had become irate because of it, but it still didn't make sense.

His Master would have told him what he had done wrong and not left him to guess about it.

"You're doing pretty good," Chouji said with a quick smile as he paused his attack, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Ino laughed as she screwed her bottle of nail polish closed. "Don't tell me you're tired already, fatass. You've only been going at it for forty-five minutes."

Haku smiled and bowed politely. "Thank you for taking the time to teach me by yourself, Chouji," he said in a soft voice.

A look of panic crossed Ino's face, and she stood up quickly, but not before tucking the little bottle of nail polish into her weapon's pouch. "Hey, Chouji," she said with a guilty smile, "take a snack break or something. I'll train Haku for a few minutes, 'kay?"

Chouji shrugged. "Thanks, Ino," he said as he left the training grounds, stretching his arms over his head as he caught his breath.

Haku straightened his body in time to see Ino take up a basic taijutsu stance, her brilliant red nails highlighting the pale skin on her hands. She smiled broadly before saying, "I'm not too good at this, Haku, so go easy on me will you? Taijutsu's not really my thing."

He held back a chuckle. "So why did you take over for Chouji?"

"I DIDN'T WANT THAT FATASS TO DIE!" she shouted, blushing furiously. "It was obvious he was exhausted! How could I let him go on?"

Ino glared at him, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Whatever! He's gone, and now it's you and me! Just come at me!"

Haku let his eyes travel over her body and he contemplated her position. She seemed off-balance, and he thought it was rather curious that she would actually volunteer for this, since she seemed to be less experienced than he was, by some odd twist of fate. _She'll be weak around the knees. If I was fighting her for real, then I'd go for that, but I'm just fighting for practice, so…I'll skip her knees. I'll also stay upright and I won't use any of the tricks or combinations the others have taught me._

His opponent stomped her foot. "What are you waiting for?"

"Sorry," Haku replied, bowing quickly. "I was just thinking, that's all."

He ran towards her, and time slowed for just a minute as he watched Ino's disturbing blue eyes shoot open. Once the distance had been closed, time sped back up.

"What the FUCK?" she shouted when she was face-to-face with Haku.

This exclamation caught him off guard, and the sheer volume of the outburst made him cover his ears with his hands and wince, and they stared at each other for a moment before laughing.

"Having fun, kids?" Haku and Ino turned to see Asuma walking towards them from inside the temple.

Ino put her hands on her hips and glared at her teacher. "Master Asuma, where did you run off to yesterday after our mission?"

He grinned back at her as he set down his gear pack and knelt to open it. "Oh, I was relaxing with Kurenai at the new bar in town. Wonderful atmosphere." Before Ino could voice her opinion of this scandalous revelation, Asuma pulled something from his pack and threw it to Haku.

Haku's hand shot out and he caught the object reflexively before turning his hand over to examine it. Asuma closed his gear pack and stood again, heaving the large bag over his shoulder as he stood over Haku. "That's a forehead protector from the old temple that used to be somewhere around the Mist Village in the Water Country," he explained as Haku looked it over. He had seen something similar on several of the ninjas at the temple; even Asuma was wearing a different version of it, though the metal plate on his forehead protector was adorned with the image of a spiral set inside a leaf. The metal plate of the forehead protector that Haku was holding was engraved with four short wavy lines set in a square formation, resembling ripples on the surface of a lake.

Asuma tapped his own forehead protector as he continued. "It's a rule at the temple that all students wear one, though no one really follows it. Godaime figured you should have one, though, and she got one of her office workers to dig this out for you. It's old, but it seems to be in good shape." Haku looked up from the forehead protector and nodded.

"Thank you, Master Asuma," he said through a smile.

"You're welcome." As Ino's teacher turned to leave, he stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Does your teacher have one?"

Haku blinked at the question, his thoughts returning to the man who owned him. "No, Master Asuma, I don't think that he does, and if he does own one I've never seen him wear it."

"Oh." Asuma stared at him for a moment before adding, "Well, if he owns one, then I sure hope it isn't a fake." He left his bored female student with Haku then, and Haku stared at his back, thinking over what he'd said. He slipped the forehead protector into his robe and began to play with the hem of his robe, trying to find some meaning in Asuma's last statement. _Why would that be any of his business?_

Ino stretched and yawned, turning her back to Haku as she stared down the temple door. "Where is that fatass anyway? I told him _snack _break! He should've been back ten minutes ago--"

"It's okay."

She turned to face Haku again, and he smiled at her, waving her concern off. "I'm going to study by myself for a short while," he said.

"If that's what you want. I mean, I can train you a little more, though I don't know if I'll be much help," she offered, a look of guilt crossing her face again.

Haku shook his head. "I'll be back for lunch." With that, he returned to the temple, and Ino shrugged him off. As she started to look for Sakura, she realized that her nails had been scuffed.

"Crap," Ino said before plopping back down onto the grass and pulling out her bottle of nail polish. She wasn't into all that hands-on stuff anyway.

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Tsunade tapped her foot under her desk as she read over some request from one of the temple's departments. _Tch, someone else wants money…they can go cry about it for all I care…_

She heard a heavy knock on her door and sighed. _I guess that it will be better to talk to someone than to read this garbage…_ "Come in!" she shouted, hoping that her visitor was not one of the odder Jounin or some lonely old temple elder.

To her surprise, the man who entered her office was Momochi Zabuza. She sat up in her chair quickly, hoping that he hadn't caught a glimpse of her lazy nature, and then she waved him forward to her desk. "Hello, Mr. Momochi," Tsunade said as the man sat down in the chair before her desk. _What the hell did you come here for? _"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Zabuza gave her a nod. "I just wanted to check in with you about my kid."

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean Haku, your slave?"

He stared at her for a moment before saying, "Yeah, Haku."

"What about him? He hasn't caused any trouble, if that's what you're worried about," she said, keeping Haku's 'tagging' experience a secret though she was almost certain he had been involved.

"I wanted to spend some time training at your temple myself, but I'd like it if you could keep Haku off of my hands for a while, while I'm here," he said.

Tsunade shrugged. "Fine, as long as you don't cause any trouble for the temple. I'll have Haku rotate between squads as per the original plan, and I trust that you'll take him with you after that?" After not receiving a response, she added, "Or, possibly leaving him here for a longer period of time?"

Zabuza nodded. "I'll decide when the time comes."

"Is that it?" Tsunade asked. She had just remembered that bottle of sake in her drawer…she wanted to finish it off before Shizune found it…

He stood up. "Yes, Princess," Zabuza said before leaving her office.

A chill ran down Tsunade's spine, and she forgot about the sake in her desk drawer. "Momochi Zabuza…" she whispered, resting her chin on her hands for a moment as she stared at the place the man had been sitting.

"Momochi Zabuza…who are you?"

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Haku returned to the room he shared with Sasuke, setting his new forehead protector on their shared desk as he opened one of the books he'd been leant. As he read about genjutsu and how to break them, his attention flickered to the forehead protector, and to his Master.

_Does Master have one of these? I'm too afraid to ask him right now, but if he does, then he might be glad that I have one. I'll leave this as it is for now, and I'll reconsider telling him that I have a forehead protector when he's not so angry with me._

_If his was a fake, though, why would it matter? I don't know if Master came from that village that Master Asuma spoke of, the Mist Village, or if he's been to the temple nearby, and Asuma made it sound like the temple hasn't been in use in years, so I can imagine it would be rather easy for forgeries to pass off as authentic forehead protectors…I'm not even sure if it would matter, if the temple is not longer of any importance…_

He picked up the forehead protector by the metal plate and examined it. The quality of the engraving matched that of the forehead protector he'd seen Master Asuma and Master Kakashi wear, not to mention all of the older ninja in the temple, so he guessed that his was authentic. Still, this seemed to bear no importance.

Haku shook his head. He was wasting valuable time that could be used to develop his knowledge of the ninja arts, so he decided to rid himself of his distractions by stowing his forehead protector away in his closet before returning to his textbook.

The book was rather informative, and not as boring as the books he'd originally found on his bed that belonged to Sasuke. Haku knew that the book he was reading was intended for children, but that meant that it was easy to read and that it was designed to hold the reader's attention (as children have short attention spans, as Haku did at the moment) as well as filled with pictures of the hand seals needed for each technique. He practiced these silently as he read the book until the bell in the Eastern Tower rang at mid-day, signaling lunch. Haku closed his book and left the room quickly.

He knew that it would be important to act normally around the others, even if there were questions and uncertainties plaguing him following the last two days' events. It would be easy, he was sure; he had forced a smile to his face before, and it could be painful, but he would do it again.

_Well, if he owns one, then I sure hope it isn't a fake._

Haku bit the inside of his cheek. He hoped, for the first time, that he would not have to see his Master. He already felt guilty for being suspicious of his behavior.

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Naruto slurped up noodles from his bowl during lunch, grinning as widely as he could without loosing the ability to enjoy his favorite food. _This whole Haku-is-a-foreign-guy thing is really rocking for me today! Who would've thought that old Lady Tsunade would get Ichiraku to cater to the temple—and not only ramen, but GOURMET ramen!_

Sakura and Sasuke watched him make a mess out of himself in disgust as they sat on either side of him. Hinata had managed to get a seat across from him, and she blushed darkly as she snuck the occasional look at Naruto, taking small, tidy portions of noodles into her mouth without making any mess at all. Kiba and Shino had noticed this, and they were both in awe of their female teammate's ability to stare at Naruto AND eat so neatly at the same time.

Naruto stabbed an egg that was floating around in his bowl with his chopsticks and was prepared to stick the whole thing in his mouth when he saw Haku standing at the entrance to the dining hall. He carefully set the impaled egg back into the broth in his bowl and made to wave at the water-nin, but Haku's black eyes were busy scanning the dining hall for any sign of his Master. Naruto dropped his hand, and watched as Haku's eyes found him. To his pleasure, Haku's face lit up with a smile, and he waved at Naruto before entering the serving area to obtain a bowl of ramen for himself.

Sakura, the ever-tactful Sakura, left the table before Haku returned, and the water-nin sat down next to Naruto as he smiled back at him. "Good afternoon, Naruto," Haku said.

Naruto chomped down on his egg, and as soon as he'd swallowed he said, "Man, I didn't think I'd get to see you again so soon, what with Team Ten stealing you away and all!"

Haku nodded, but he kept silent, and he sighed in relief when Kiba began to speak with Naruto about the mark they'd left on Tsunade's office, and how quickly Tsunade's assistants had redone her office. He didn't feel like speaking with Naruto, but he was content to listen to the others talk and smile at their rants and joking.

His thoughts turned inward, and he decided that he would try to forget about his Master for the time being and worry about their relationship when the older man wanted to act more civilly toward him. After all, his Master had recently returned from a mission and a journey, so he had reason to be ill-tempered. Haku wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt; he owed nothing less to the man he treasured.

Haku was pulled from his internal worries when he heard Naruto mention the name 'Sai'. Sai now seemed a distant memory, even though he'd seen the artist-nin just the day before. As he had thought earlier, Sai was inconsequential when compared with his Master; he would someday be a bad memory, or perhaps Haku would remember his taunts in good humor.

The others were comparing stories. Hinata was speaking now, her face ablaze due to the fact that Naruto was listening to her. "I remember w-what he said about K-K-Kiba's sister, Hana…" she said, turning to Kiba as if to ask him to continue the story.

The dog trainer rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, it's kind of funny," he said, "but none of you can tell Hana you heard this."

Haku nodded, a little guilty knowing that he was interested in the story only because he wanted to hear how Sai ridiculed other people, and the Chuunin sitting with him nodded also. Kiba continued. "When I first met Sai, he asked me how my sister's cat was."

Sasuke's eyes widened, and a smirk found its way to his face as he said, "I remember this."

"You want to tell the story, then?" a flushed Kiba asked him. "Because if you want to tell the story, Uchiha--"

"No way," Sasuke said, waving his hands in front of his chest to clear the air of that idea.

Kiba shrugged. "Okay, then." He paused, making sure he had not lost any of his former classmates' attention. He hadn't. "So, Sai asked me how my sister's cat was doing, and of course I didn't know what he was talking about, so I just said, 'My sister has three dogs, and she doesn't own any cats.'. I thought he must have heard about my clan wrong; I mean, come on, we're dog trainers, not cat trainers. Then…" He blushed. "Then, the jackass smiled, and he said to me, 'I thought your sister liked pussy.'"

Hinata covered her ears. "Oh, Kiba! I remember that! You know I hate that story!" she cried out, sending Kiba a pained look. Shino nodded, making his male teammate feel even guiltier.

Meanwhile, Naruto stared at him blankly. "I don't get it."

Haku let a smile creep onto his face. _It's a good play on words, but rather vulgar. I doubt that I'd ever retell that story…_

He sighed and finished his lunch in silence, enjoying the conversations playing around his head.

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Haku returned to his room after lunch. He had missed Team Ten somewhere, and he guessed that they had either had another mission or had taken their lunch somewhere else. Either way, he was content to read the textbooks he'd been leant. It seemed as though Team Ten was not as interested in training him as Team Seven had been, but it was understandable; he had met Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke before Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji, and he knew the former three on a more personal basis. He decided that he would ask Chouji to teach him again the next day, and study after his training. There was still a large gap for him to close, after all, when it came to knowledge of basic techniques.

When he opened his book, he was surprised to see that there was writing on the bookmark he'd used. Haku felt nervous for two reasons: he didn't own the bookmark (it was Sasuke's) and he didn't know who had written on it. There was only one word, though, and its ambiguity caused an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

FAKE

Haku stared at the bookmark before putting it into one of the drawers of Sasuke's desk and closing the drawer. He found a notebook on Sasuke's desk and used a sheet of paper from it to make a new, less creepy bookmark.

He wanted to ask Sasuke about the bookmark, but he reasoned that if it was Sasuke who had written on it, then there had to be a reason for Sasuke to communicate with him in this way rather than telling him what he meant outright. At the same time, he didn't know what FAKE meant.

_Fake…fake…Master Asuma said that he hoped my Master's forehead protector was not a fake. Sasuke wrote fake…if it was Sasuke. I don't know who else could have obtained access to our room._

Haku knew that there may have been many techniques by which ninja from the temple could have snuck into his room, and paranoia began to take over. Haku forced himself to calm down, and he slammed his book shut, leaving it on the desk, as he gathered his nightclothes and left the room to take an early bath. He hoped that the warm water would calm his nerves, and that he would be able to concentrate on his studies once he had relaxed.

During his walk to the bathroom, Haku passed his Master, of all people, and the man was talking to Kakashi about something. They both seemed engrossed in the conversation, so Haku averted his eyes from the two men. Once he had passed them, though, Kakashi turned around and said, "Haku, go see Godaime when you have time."

He did not turn around. He did not want his Master to look at him, when he still held contempt for him, when he still chose to ignore him.

Instead, Haku nodded and continued on his path to the bathroom.

The bathroom was blissfully empty, and though Haku had come more accustomed to bathing around the other students over the past few days, it was still a stressful experience and it would have had the opposite effect of what he desired. Keeping a towel around his waste after he'd washed his body, Haku sunk into the hot bath and closed his eyes, leaning his head back as he let his thoughts drift to his Master.

_Have faith in him. Faith, Haku._

_Fake._

_Fake._

_That's the only explanation that doesn't involve any wrongdoing on my part, or any behavioral change on Master's part. But how could he…what if I doubted him and it was really him…how could I face him?_

_He came in through the gate without Hinata checking his chakra signature, and I didn't ask her to today…moreover, if Master…is not Master…then who else is not themselves? Even Hinata could be a fake…_

_No, No, No, Master is himself, or I'll believe it until I see other evidence. He's the only man I don't want to run away from, and I won't push him away because he isn't treating me like a loved one. That's not really faith, but I know that faith has its limits. I just have to want to believe in him. I don't want to see something that's not there, and lose him because of it._

Haku sighed before climbing out of the bath. He dressed quickly, and he remembered Kakashi's message: 'Go see Godaime.'. Haku had been to her office twice now, and he found it a third time with little difficulty. After a brief, gentle knocking on the door, Tsunade shouted, "Come in!" and he entered her office, nervousness building up inside his chest.

She regarded him for a moment with a still expression on her face before smiling politely. "Haku, it's nice to see you again. Please shut the door and sit down."

Haku obeyed, and he watched Tsunade scribble notes onto a request from one of the temple's departments before scratching out the line that had been provided for signing her name, instead writing, 'NO WAY IN HELL' under the signature line. Having done this, she pushed the document to the side and smiled at Haku again. He smiled back out of courtesy, and she nonchalantly pulled out a bottle of sake and a small cup, pouring herself a little of the alcohol before addressing the reason for Haku's visit.

"So, Haku," she said after slamming the little cup down on her desk and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "I just wanted to tell you that your Master will stay here for a while, but your training will go on as previously decided, at least until he changes his mind. I don't really want him to be here, and I wish that he'd have told you about this instead of telling me, but he seems to want to avoid you for some reason."

Haku nodded, and he lowered his gaze to the trim on the near side of the desk. "I thought as much, but thank you for telling me outright, Miss Tsunade."

She smiled at him. "Such a good kid, you are, you know to call me 'Miss' and not 'old Lady'…" her smiled cracked a little and she downed another glass before beaming at him. "Well, Haku, it seems like you're having a little trouble with your Master, but don't worry, these things work themselves out. I'm sure that he'll see how well you're doing and he'll whisk you away in no time."

Haku stared at her, not quite sure of how to take what she'd said, so he replied, "Thank you, Miss Tsunade."

Tsunade nodded before pouring herself another cup of sake and raising it, as if to offer a toast. "No problem, kid. I do have a parting gift for you before you go, though." She looked through another drawer on her desk, and as she rummaged she asked off-handedly, "I take it Asuma gave you the other gift already?"

"Yes, Miss Tsunade," he said. "You're speaking of the forehead protector, correct?"

She nodded before pulling a used-looking weapons pouch from the drawer. "Do you remember what he told you?"

"…that I'm supposed to wear it, but no one ever wears them anyway…"

Tsunade smiled, setting the pouch on her desk. It fell with a distinct 'chink' noise of metal-on-metal, and Haku regarded it wearily. "That's right, kiddo!" She shut her drawer and handed him the heavy pouch.

"There are a few special kunai in here that are easy to throw. Yondaime used to have them custom-made, back when he was a Jounin…" she hiccupped, and covered her mouth with an embarrassed look on her face. Haku ignored it, and accepted the pouch.

"You can throw away the pouch as soon as you get to the room, but whatever you do, make sure to clean the kunai as soon as you can." She gave him an even look, and he felt himself nodding under her heavy gaze. "As soon as you can."

The moment was lifted when she poured herself another cup. "Go on, get out of here, you little whipper-snapper," Tsunade said. Haku stood to leave, and she grumbled something about children watching her get dead-drunk.

He held the dirty old pouch at arm's length, wondering why she hadn't given him the special kunai in a clean pouch, and why she had left the kunai for him to clean. _I am thankful, though, that she would go out of her way to give me something. Miss Tsunade seems a tad eccentric though…_

In accordance with her words, he dumped the kunai onto his floor and threw the pouch into the trash can. Most of the kunai were plain kunai, though several were curved in an odd fashion, and Haku began to sort them out, wondering why she had given him any plain kunai to begin with.

As he put another plain kunai into the pile he'd created for them, though, a flash of white on the kunai's hilt caught his eye. He slid his little finger into the whole at the end of the weapon and let it hang from his finger like that. His eyes shot open when he read the word that was written on the kunai's hilt in white chalk.

FAKE

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The medicine had done its work. Aka had not coughed all day, and Zabuza had only left the room to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the three of them from stalls around the White Town marketplace. Itachi had taken note of his irritable state, and had agreed that they would be able to leave the next day, though their pace would be slow.

When Itachi stepped out, Aka turned to him and regarded him with weird eyes. It seemed as though she had taken a liking to Itachi, or at least that she preferred Itachi to him.

He stared back at her, and she smiled at him. The smile knocked Zabuza out of his mood, and he realized that he had already forgotten Haku's smile.

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	29. Chapter 29

Folded Hands, Chapter Twenty-Nine

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, possibly others later

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Notes:

One of your fellow readers, SushiDemon, has drawn a beautiful Folded Hands fanart piece. Since is a bitch when it comes to linking to sites from your story, the link for the picture is posted on my profile page BUT I DID NOT DRAW IT, SUSHIDEMON DID, I'M NOT TAKING CREDIT FOR THEIR WONDERFUL WORK!

So, to see SushiDemon's picture, go to my profile, click on the link, you know the drill.

And, once again, there are more drawings on my deviantArt page.

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Something was very, very wrong at the temple.

For that first night, Haku was wracked by frustration and paranoia. He had no experience with situations like this one—he would have to take part in some sort of game if he did not want to be killed, and he was in the game not because he had chosen to be a part of it, or because someone had put him there, but because he had seen the signs and instead of turning a blind eye and staying faithful to the man he called Master, he had read every sign, and had thought about them, and they could not leave his head. There was a man at the temple now who wore his Master's face, and he knew nothing about the condition or the whereabouts of his own Master.

Haku hid the kunai as soon as the word registered. His thoughts flashed to the bookmark he'd found in his book earlier, and he opened the drawer he'd dropped it in to find that it was gone. He stared at the spot he'd last seen it for a moment before shutting the drawer. It would be safe, he knew, to get rid of the kunai as well, now that the message had been passed on.

He had three allies so far: Asuma, Sasuke, and Tsunade. It seemed as though all of them had realized on their own that the man he'd called Master for the last few days was a fraud, and they had all told him in their own way, to keep him safe, to keep the imposter from getting close to him, and to tell him that he had comrades.

There was also a chance, he knew, that if anyone else tried to tell him, that their message would be intercepted or overheard. That meant that there may have been several other people at the temple who knew that the imposter was not his Master, but that they had chosen to keep their mouths shut and their eyes down, at least for the time being, to not cause any trouble or to put themselves or Haku into danger.

Haku sat down on his bed, his hands folded in his lap, as he thought about his situation. If he wanted to remain safe, he would need to act as though he knew nothing, and he would have to obey the imposter as if he was his Master, at least until the matter was brought into the open by another party, meaning that he would no longer be able to hide, or at least that he would no longer have a reason to hide, that he knew that the man was not his Master.

There was also the subject of where his real Master was. Haku clenched his fists as he realized that his Master may have been dead, and that the body he saw was his Master's, but not the soul, or the mind, or whichever part of a human that was that created an identity.

_He might also be using a transformation jutsu. I don't know how he could have made the transformed state look so real, but if he's a ninja then I suppose it's possible. His chakra signature should be different from my Master's…wait, Hinata wasn't at the gate at that time…it was…_

Haku stopped breathing as realization set in. _It was that medical-nin, Kabuto…he…he was the one who let the Fake in…he told the guard that he didn't need Hinata to verify his identity…but Kabuto never spent time with Master before…I didn't think of it then, because I was so excited to see Master again._

_Thoughtless._

_So it seems as though I've identified one of the Fake's accomplices, but I can't do anything with this information…_

He sighed, and his shoulders started to shake. To avoid being found out, he would need to continue to act normally; he would have to continue being Haku the slave, property of the Fake, a young man whose sole concern was his training.

_I'll find Team Ten right away tomorrow; they can't get away from me. I need to show an intense interest in my training, so that no one will suspect anything. I need to seek out the others for companionship, so that I will not be found speculating or investigating on my own. This also means that, although I want answers, I cannot try to obtain them from the Fake, even by indirect means. I already know that he is not Master, and I'll have to leave the investigation to the temple, once the Hokage begins it…if she feels that it is safe to do so._

Haku jolted into a stiff sitting position and he sucked in a surprised breath as the door to his room opened. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched Sasuke enter the room.

He forced himself to calm down. "Hello, Sasuke," Haku said with the best smile he could bring to his face.

Sasuke nodded without looking at him. It was obvious that he was tired from training, and as he pulled off his shoes, still not sparing Haku a glance, Haku began to feel…reassured.

Even if he could not talk to the others, he was not alone. Sasuke had to force himself to be quiet, too.

"How's Team Ten?" the black-haired young man asked casually.

Haku took a breath before replying. "Chouji and Ino were nice enough. I hardly saw Shikamaru at all, though."

"That's Shikamaru for you," Sasuke said, stretching before leaving his bed in pursuit of bath items. "He's the laziest guy that ever graduated from Iruka's class."

"Oh, I see," Haku said in an emotionless voice. It was difficult to act normal under the circumstances.

Once Sasuke had gathered his nightclothes and bath kit, he turned to Haku for the first time, and looked him in the eye. Haku smiled back, and Sasuke nodded before leaving their room.

His nerves nearly exploded when Sasuke left. _That was a learning experience that I cannot forget for the next several days…or weeks…or the rest of my life…_

Haku sighed and lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He would have to operate as if he was completely alone; he couldn't rely on anyone, even his comrades, in this situation.

The night was warm, but it did not steal him away into sleep, not even after Sasuke's return, and he spent the night thinking about his plan, and the consequences he had to be prepared to face.

_If the time comes that he will try to take me away from the temple, then I will no longer be silent, even if I am the only one who will admit that there is something wrong. He is not **Zabuza**, and he has no right to take me. I have learned that much._

Daylight broke through the sky, and Haku shut his eyes against it, half of him wishing that the night would not end, so that he would not have to enter the dangerous world in which the Fake lurked; the other half, wanting to kill the man as soon as he saw him for desecrating his memories of his Master and for making him doubt both his Master, and himself.

_I will not allow my eyes to miss this. A man, an imposter, a Fake has taken the face of my Master and has attempted to live his life. I can not allow your transgression go unchecked._

_You are NOT my Master._

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When Haku walked outside the temple for his morning run, he made a point of finding Shikamaru. The lazy ninja had actually shown up that day, and Haku knew that he would have to get him to stick around his team if he wanted to train with him.

As soon as Shikamaru had seen him, he turned away and pretended as though he wasn't there. This did not stop Haku, though. He had made up his mind the night before.

Haku walked around Shikamaru so that he was in his line of sight. "Good morning, Shikamaru," he said softly.

Caught, the lazy ninja made a face and sighed. "Hello, Haku," he said with the smallest amount of enthusiasm a person's voice could hold without spouting suicide threats.

Haku beamed back at him. "I was hoping that we could run together today."

A look of panic struck Shikamaru's face, and he took a step back, staring at Haku as if trying to comprehend what he'd said. "You and me?"

The water-nin smiled and nodded. "Or do you not like me?"

"Er…it's okay."

Haku nodded again. "Since the others are not here yet, would you like to start running without them?"

Shikamaru sighed in defeat. "The 'others', huh?" He looked around the area, hoping that his teammates would show up to rescue him, but they didn't and he sighed again before turning back to Haku. "Suuurre. But not too fast, okay?" he asked.

"Whatever you'd like," Haku said softly. Shikamaru shrugged, and they began their walk around the temple.

After a few minutes, Shikamaru sent Haku a sideways look. In his eyes, the foreign ninja didn't seem to mind the fact that the morning run had…not involved any running at all…

_Damn it, _he thought as he glared at a nearby patch of trees. _Isn't he supposed to get bored of this and run off on his own?_

It was at that moment that Haku turned to him and asked, "So, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Shikamaru blinked at him.

_Since when did he decide to get so damned chatty with me!_

Haku smiled to himself as he dragged personal information out of the lazy, irritable ninja. If he could fill up the strained atmosphere with pointless conversation, then that would make his burden that much lighter.

"So," Shikamaru said after a while. Chouji and Ino, not to mention every other Chuunin, had lapped them by then, and Shikamaru had not budged from his slow walk. "So, what about you?"

"What about me?" Haku asked.

"Um…" Polite conversation was not a hobby of Shikamaru's. "How about your family?"

"Oh." Haku looked away from him and thought about how to answer that. _Consistency is the best path. _"I don't know any of my family members. I have been with Master Zabuza during all of the times of my life that meant anything, though I wouldn't call him my family."

Shikamaru stopped walking. "During all of the times of your life that meant anything? What does that mean?"

_I said something too ambiguous... _"I meant that I was only a child before then, and I don't remember much from that time," he answered, stopping in his tracks to face Shikamaru.

"Tch. You can't build your life around someone like that. They'll just leave it," Shikamaru said, turning from him to glare at the horizon.

Haku watched him wordlessly as Shikamaru caught his own admission; then, they began to walk again.

A silence fell between them, a silence through which Haku could smile in relief.

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The girl was in fine condition that day.

Aka awoke to the sight of Itachi sitting calmly on his bed, reading a journal of some sort. When she sat up and looked around their hotel room, she found that he had packed the bags he'd brought with him. The fire-nin was also fully-dressed and armed, but the sword on Itachi's back and the little clangs of metal on metal that came from his weapons pouch when he breathed deeply did not bother Aka.

"Good morning," Itachi said as he flipped past the last page he'd read, not taking his eyes away from the book.

She nodded, watching him soundlessly.

"There's a dress hanging in the closet. You should change into it; the weather in the Fire Country is much warmer than the weather here. Put your coat on over it until we've arrived in the warmer climate."

Aka rose from the bed and opened the closet to find a navy dress with short sleeves and a short skirt, as well as a pair of navy sandals that matched the ones that Itachi wore. She pulled these articles from the closet as the other man, the big man, as she thought of him, opened the door to the room.

Whereas she could watch Itachi, she could only stare at him.

He was so…_weird._

"Hey," Zabuza said, catching Itachi's attention. The fire-nin set down his journal politely and turned his attention to Zabuza, who continued. "If you're not leaving today, then I'm leaving without you."

Itachi stared at him for a moment, and Zabuza stared back, before turning to Aka. "Do you feel better today?" he asked her.

She thought about this, and as Zabuza began to lose his patience she slowly said, "I think I do. My chest doesn't hurt like it did before."

"Can you walk?" Zabuza barked.

Aka turned to him and stared, wide-eyed. "I walked to the closet."

"Huh?"

Seeing that nothing could come of direct interaction between the two water-nin, Itachi cleared his throat. Zabuza narrowed his eyes at him and Aka watched him again expectantly.

"She should be good for travel," he said simply. "Aka, please dress. We'll leave for the temple as soon as you're ready."

The girl nodded and took her clothes before leaving the room to change.

As soon as she had exited, Itachi sighed. "We'll have to go at a quick pace," he said. "Godaime doesn't like her Jounin to take their time getting back to the temple after missions, no matter what their reason for doing so may be. Aka's condition has made that difficult, but we can't waste any more time."

Zabuza rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, folding his arms and glaring at the door. "Why are you telling me that crap? I'm not the one who made her sick."

"I just wanted to tell you of the change in priorities," Itachi replied. "The importance of my return to the temple grows every day that I stay here. If we can get Aka back quickly, then we can have her treated sooner."

"And?" Zabuza asked irritably. "What's the point?"

"We might have to carry her."

Zabuza stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "Whatever, we'll manage."

Itachi nodded, and he sat in silence for a few minutes waiting for Aka to return.

And he sat.

And he sat.

Zabuza shifted his standing position and turned to Itachi. "Where's that brat, anyway?" he asked. "You think she ran?"

Itachi was already off his bed. He pulled on a pair of shoes and brushed past Zabuza into the hallway and towards the women's bathroom. Zabuza followed him, cursing under his breath.

_Haku would know better than that. A simple threat tied him to me, and it could have done the same for her, but Itachi's been too busy nursing her to think of that._

They found the women's bathroom and Itachi waited for a moment, listening at the door.

Zabuza leaned against the hallway wall, waiting for Itachi to open the door and search for Aka already. He didn't know why the fire-nin was still waiting; he hadn't pegged Itachi as the shy or easily-flustered type.

As soon as Zabuza stood away from the wall in preparation for forcing his way into the bathroom, the door swung open to reveal a coughing Aka. She pulled her hand away from her face as soon as she recognized her caretakers, and her gaze hardened at Zabuza. Aka nodded at Itachi and walked past both men silently.

Itachi sighed as he followed her back to the room. Sasuke had been a proud kid, too.

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Haku ate breakfast with the others in as normal a fashion as he could. He had been too quiet and withdrawn the previous day, and he couldn't afford that sort of behavior.

Luckily enough, Ino found him during breakfast and plunked her food tray down next to his, taking the seat to his right. "Good morning, Haku!" she said enthusiastically. Haku noticed that she was without her teammates.

He turned to her and nodded. "Good morning, Ino."

She beamed at him and said, "Sorry that you missed us yesterday! Asuma took us out for barbeque because that fatass—I mean, Chouji—kept whining and saying that we don't spend enough time together as a team--" she started to wave her hand back and forth to illustrate the story in an ambiguous fashion "—and this and that, so Asuma…er, Master Asuma took all of us out and, you know, we realized that we forgot you when the food came out but we all figured it was too late then so we just decided to be more careful today. And that's why I'm sitting next to you." With that, Ino turned away from him, pulled her chopsticks from their protective sleeve, and began to work on the fruit bowl that comprised about half of her breakfast.

Haku turned away from the unintentionally rude ninja and smiled to himself. _Looks like she's already helping me with my plan._

He was moderately surprised when Shikamaru sat down across from him. The lazy young man sent a brief, "Tch," Ino's way and grinned less-than-halfheartedly at Haku before pulling out his own chopsticks and poking at his bowl of rice with just as much enthusiasm.

Ino's eyes lit up a little and she smiled smugly. "Wow, Shikamaru," she said. "It's been a long time since you actually ate breakfast with us…"

He glared in response but said nothing as Chouji sat down to his left, completing their square. Both Ino and Shikamaru opened their mouths to say some sort of greeting, but as soon as Chouji saw Haku he smiled weakly and said, "Sorry about missing you yesterday, Haku. It was my fault."

Haku shook his head and waved at the air to dismiss his apology. "It was nothing. I had reading to catch up on, anyway."

"Really?" Chouji asked politely. He shot Ino a look and she stared at him dumbly for a moment before catching his hint and turning to Haku to ask, "Um, Haku, what kind of reading?"

"The basic books," he answered. He hadn't really spend much time reading the previous day, so he searched his memory for subjects he'd read in the last week. "Disguise techniques. I still need to look over the material again, of course."

"Oh, cool," Ino said. It was rather obvious that she hadn't actually listened, but that wasn't what mattered.

Haku was actually reassured by this kind of response—the young woman sitting with him was most definitely Ino, and not a fraud.

_No no no, keep your mind on the conversation._

He turned to Shikamaru. "So, what were your plans for today?"

Shikamaru blinked. "Plans? Well…" he glanced at his teammates. "I didn't really have any. The old Sandaime plays Shogi with me every now and then…I was thinking of visiting him…" He sighed dispassionately. "Or maybe I'll take a nap."

"Are you going to have some Jasmine tea and bitch about 'kids these days' after that, you old man?" Ino asked as she rolled her eyes. Chouji shot her a look but she ignored it.

"THIS is why I don't eat breakfast with you," Shikamaru said. He threw Chouji a look before sitting back and folding his arms. "After all, talking to the world's biggest bitch takes away your appetite…"

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Ino shrilled. She glanced at Chouji and he didn't say anything, so she let a smile cross her face as she continued. "Of course I seem like a bitch to you. You can't even handle discussing chores with your mom! You're TOTALLY afraid of girls!"

"That's because there are no good girls these days."

"So are you gonna go fuck some old granny?"

As their argument escalated in both rudeness and stupidity, Haku found a smile gracing his face. The two Chuunin soon had the attention of half of the dining hall, at which point Chouji tried to calm down his teammates as he looked at Haku in exasperation. His teammates, however, continued to argue, trying to milk the crowd until an Eagle-masked ANBU with long brown hair tied back at waist-length asked them to leave.

And so they bitched their way to the practice fields, with Haku following them in good humor and Chouji following them carrying no small amount of frustration and weariness on his stocky shoulders.

Team Ten had once been a fully-functioning cell, sometimes called InoShikaChou by its members. This had ended when Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji turned fourteen (though in staggered succession) and Shikamaru's friendship with Chouji had become strained due to a change in Ino's attitude towards Chouji.

But that was history, and the result was constant tension between Shikamaru and Ino. It was because of this, though, that they had been able to entertain Haku to try to apologize for the previous day.

At the same time, their bitching session had also allowed them to release some of the anger they'd felt for a while, thereby improving their relationship. So when Shikamaru finally called Ino a fangirly skank, and she in return said that he was a coward for not having the courage to write to 'the girl he was obviously in love with' instead of hitting each other and never speaking again, the two physically weaker members of Team Ten hit each other and began a rather raggedy taijutsu training session for two.

Now concerned, Haku watched their fight for a few minutes before Chouji put a hand on his shoulder and shrugged. "I think they got it. You still want me to train you in taijutsu, right?"

Haku nodded and walked a short distance away to train with Chouji.

_Distractions will be my ally._

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Zabuza sneered under his facial bandages as he shouldered the weight of the Yukitori heirlooms he carried. He leapt from branch to branch as he followed Itachi back into the Fire Country.

The girl had been hit by another coughing fit when they were a few miles out of White Town. This fit had been less violent than most of its predecessors, but it had still led Itachi to the decision that one of them would have to carry her so that she could rest. It was because of this decision that Itachi's pack had been lightened and Zabuza's had become heavier; Itachi was strong but it was physically impossible for him to carry Aka and a full load of Haku's inheritances.

_So, this makes Haku the leader of his clan, doesn't it?_

_Not that it will change anything. The only other clan member is that kid, anyway._

He was distracted from his thoughts when Aka looked at him over Itachi's shoulder. A chill ran down Zabuza's spine as those dark eyes refused to move away from him.

_Freaky kid, what the fuck's her problem?_

She fell asleep again and her head sunk below Itachi's shoulder level. Zabuza looked away before rolling his eyes at himself for being intimidated by a small, sickly girl and increasing his pace. Itachi nodded and leapt after him, hoping to make good time.

They reached Konoha Village two hours later. When the temple came in sight, a flash of light across a long thread made both ninja stop in their tracks and drop to the ground. Aka awoke and nearly screamed from the sudden change in acceleration but Itachi covered her mouth and shut her up.

Zabuza closed his eyes and tried to locate the person who'd set the wire trap they'd barely avoided. He assumed that Itachi's sudden stop meant that the fire-nin hadn't expected the wire, either, and thus it must not have been set by a Konoha ninja.

Itachi unstrapped Aka from his torso and set her onto the ground. Her legs were shaky and thus she fell. He was too absorbed in locating their target to notice, and he activated his Sharingan as soon as she hit the ground.

The three held their silence until Aka's harsh breathing broke through.

"_Fuck,_" Itachi cursed under his breath. He pulled Aka off the ground and jumped back in time with Zabuza as a large, amorphous projectile hit the same spot they'd been standing in.

"A _web?_"

Zabuza stared at the mass as Itachi traced its path back up through the trees. A dark-skinned man with six arms, a ponytail, and a forehead protector displaying a musical note smirked down at them as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Some wayward ninja, eh?" he asked cockily, noting Zabuza's and Itachi's current lack of forehead protectors and mistaking both of them for traveling ninja. The unidentified ninja jerked his head in Aka's direction. "A little girl too, eh?" He cracked his three sets of knuckles as he surveyed his prey.

To his surprise, Zabuza flashed out of his line of sight before he could respond and appeared behind him, dealing a heavy blow to his back with his oversized cleaver-style sword. The strange ninja's eyes shot open and he fell down to the forest floor.

Zabuza chased his body down the trunk of the tree he'd been perched on and was about to go for a second attack when he saw the wound he'd inflicted crack away like old pottery from the strange ninja's back.

Itachi saw it, too, and he left Aka on the ground as he unsheathed his sword and met their opponent mid-air as he began to right himself. As he'd expected, his first few sword blows cracked the man's armor and did nothing more. Itachi knew that there were a few areas of his body that could not have been protected by the armor, though, so when he was finished testing the armor he grabbed the other ninja by his shoulders and threw him against the nearest tree, hard enough to crush the lungs of a normal human but without the force required to actually harm this opponent.

The shock of the attack did leave his opponent's eyes open, though, and as Zabuza watched him wondering what he was doing and how it would help them to defeat their unidentified attacker Itachi focused his Sharingan into the strange ninja's eyes and began an advanced form of mental torture.

Zabuza watched them and waited for either man to move as Itachi stared into the six-armed man's eyes until the other man slumped down the tree trunk he'd been thrown against, shaky and now unconscious. Itachi backed away from the incapacitated man and turned to Zabuza to explain.

"The Sharingan allows me to torture my enemies' minds." He narrowed his eyes and turned toward the temple.

"Someone's taking over the temple. And they're after--"

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Uchiha Sasuke made a face as he watched Sakura and Naruto train. It had been rather helpful to have a fourth team member; that way, none of them had been idle during team training. It wouldn't have been so bad if his brother had already returned from his last mission.

_Mother and Father would probably have a fit if they found out he was wasting time training me, anyway._

"Hey, kid."

Sasuke turned around to find that he had been addressed by Momochi Zabuza. A switch in his brain turned on after a millisecond reminding him that this man was not actually Zabuza, but an imposter. Another switch turned on after another millisecond telling him that he could not let on that he knew this.

And so he nodded. He didn't know Zabuza well enough to address him by any particular name.

"Are you bored or something?" the fake Zabuza asked.

Sasuke shrugged and turned back to his teammates. "Not really. If you're looking for Haku, he's not training with us anymore. He's with Team Ten right now."

"Oh, really," the fake Zabuza answered in a bored voice. "Well, whatever, kid," he said before walking away.

As soon as he was alone, Sasuke let out a breath and his fist began to shake. He'd been troubled enough when he'd realized that an imposter had been allowed into the temple grounds, but the knowledge that nothing had been done about it when there were Jounin and ANBU and other Chuunin capable of realizing that fact were present had deepened his concern.

_And why would he address me? Any imposter would have a man on the inside…and that person would have told them how to act the part of the person whose identity they've taken…_

"Sasuke!"

The black-haired ninja looked up to see Naruto waving at him. His scarred teammate waved both hands in the air enthusiastically and pointed to a large purple bruise on his face.

Sakura hid her face in her hands and began to walk away.

"Sakura got even stronger!" Naruto shouted loud enough for the adjacent teams to hear. Shikamaru glared at him as he walked past Team Seven in search of Ino, Chouji, and Haku. "Look! A love bump!"

"Shut up, dumbass!" Sasuke shouted in return. He glanced at Sakura and she stared back at him, her eyes widening for just a moment. They both nodded and she tore her eyes from Sasuke as if she had just heard Naruto's comment.

"Love? What are you talking about?" she shouted at her blonde teammate.

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "You know, like pulling hair and—OW!"

Sasuke decided to join the fray when Sakura cracked her knuckles and began to attack Naruto. As he pulled her away from Naruto, he whispered in her ear, "Silence," and he dropped her on his other side so he stood in between his teammates.

"Sasuke!" Sakura mock-screamed. He nodded as he kept his back turned to her and she stormed off, shouting something akin to "Stupid boys!"

"Huh?" Naruto asked dumbly as he cocked his head to the side. "What was that about?"

_Of course he hasn't figured it out yet._

"Oh, she was probably PMSing or something," Sasuke said, waving his hand in the air. "Anyway, I was getting bored over there. Fight me, you retard!"

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Shikamaru found his team in their new training spot near the lake. It was the place that Team Seven had occupied for the last week or so, and they'd taken over the location for Haku's benefit. He'd been sent to the dining hall to bring some kind of food and drinks to his team so that Chouji could spend less time taking a break and more time teaching Haku taijutsu.

When he joined his team by the lake, he found Ino sitting down, watching the training match. Shikamaru silently put down the food he'd brought so as to not remind Chouji of the coming break and make him forget about his duty.

He sat with Ino for a few minutes and neither of them said a word until Ino said in a voice so soft that it was almost a whisper, "The Flower Ball."

Shikamaru blinked at her and she kept her eyes on the fight. He looked back, too, and as he was about to ask her what the hell she was talking about, she continued.

"My family and the other florists in the village are going to throw this year's merchant ball. I want to go with Chouji." Her voice was low and agitated, and it reminded Shikamaru of the voice his mother used when he was little when she wanted to threaten him in public.

"So what?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

She rolled her eyes. "Look, stupid, I'm just saying that you shouldn't make any plans to hang out with Chouji that night. Just write to your girlfriend or something."

"Fuck you. Are you going to make him lose weight before you'll be seen with him in public, you miserable bitch?"

"No, Shikamaru, FUCK YOU, you cowardly bastard," she gritted out through clenched teeth. Her face turned red. "Why the hell would you--"

Haku dodged Chouji's punch. He knew that his current trainer was growing tired but he didn't want Chouji to feel that he had to stop just then. He'd found that his periods of speed had become less sporadic and more normal…he could almost control it now, though just in short spurts. Chouji attacked him again and he tapped into that speed. For a moment, he could see the muscles in Chouji's body flex and he could feel the air itself move with the wind and the twisting of bodies.

And in that moment, he saw past Chouji, to Sasuke and the Fake.

Haku faltered and fell from his speed state. Chouji's punch blew past his face and he fell down to the ground, unharmed but startled.

_I didn't expect to see him out here. Why was he talking to Sasuke?_

"Are you okay?" Chouji asked, concerned. He held out a hand for Haku.

Haku nodded and smiled as reassuringly as he could. "I think it's break time, though," he said as he motioned to Shikamaru and Ino, who fell silent when Haku pointed to them.

Chouji eyes found a bag of chips Shikamaru had brought and he nodded fervently. "Yeah...break time," he said as he left Haku to sit down between his teammates. Haku joined them as well, though he abstained from eating.

He bit the inside of his mouth as he turned what he'd seen over and over in his head. _Maybe it was a coincidence or a fluke. Maybe the Fake doesn't know who Sasuke is. Or maybe the Fake is after Sasuke because he knows that Sasuke knows that he's not my Master…_

Haku looked up at the others. They were in the middle of a conversation, and he'd missed it!

"…and so I think Master Asuma is going to take us out again tonight," Chouji concluded.

Ino rolled her eyes. "You know, we don't NEED him to go out. And you know, we don't HAVE to eat barbeque when we go out."

"Chouji likes barbeque," Shikamaru quipped.

"I don't think I could ever get sick of it," Chouji agreed.

"NEVER." Shikamaru added.

Ino glared back at her lazy teammate. "Well, there are other things too. New things. There are actually a lot of good foods in the world," she said, directing this statement entirely towards Shikamaru and only giving Chouji a brief nod of the head.

…_how am I supposed to get into this conversation? _Haku wondered. _It seems like they're ready to rip out each other's throats._

He glanced at Chouji and found that Chouji was just as confused by his teammates. Ino and Shikamaru turned to Chouji at the same time and he swallowed nervously.

"…What?" Chouji asked.

"Hey, Haku," Ino said, turning to the water-nin. "What do you like?"

Shikamaru turned to him too. "Yeah, do you like one kind of food, or a lot of different kinds?"

He blinked at both of them, looking from one to the other. "Well, I don't really know about many different kinds…there's not much variety in the Water Country…"

"I mean," Ino said as Shikamaru tried to interrupt her, "if you had a favorite, would you ever try anything new?"

Shikamaru shook his head before Haku could answer. "Listen to yourself. You said FAVORITE, Ino. People like what they like."

"But what if there's something better, huh?"

Chouji held up his hands as his teammates' tempers rose yet again. "Guys, what is--"

"Well you shouldn't have to look for something better—and what do you mean by better? Should he just STOP liking what he likes because it's not the only thing out there?"

"Okay, not better, but just as good--"

Haku snuck a glance at Chouji, who sighed in exasperation, before passing Haku a can of tea and shrugging.

"But you said BETTER!"

"WELL I JUST MEANT THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS OUT THERE!"

Across the temple grounds, Sarutobi Asuma heard two of his students bickering. He sighed and, upon remembering that his students and by extension himself had been responsible for the new students since the previous day, decided to end his smoking break early so that he could meet the new kid again and maybe teach him a thing or two before the day was completely over.

As Asuma crossed the temple grounds, he came upon an empty corridor. This was unusual for Konoha Temple, so he checked his surroundings before continuing on his way.

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Aka soon found that their attacker twitched when he was unconscious. A lot. When she decided to point this out to Itachi as he spoke with the big man, he nodded. "I'll kill him soon enough," he said humorlessly.

Her eyes widened and she nodded, backing away from the twitching man.

"So he basically confessed when you tortured him?" Zabuza asked Itachi, drawing his attention back to their predicament.

Itachi nodded. His blood raced. _Sasuke. _"There's a man pretending to be you back at the temple. It sounds like he's the man who defected from the temple a few years ago, and he has help from both inside and outside the temple."

"So I can't go in there," Zabuza said, jerking his head back toward the temple.

"I wouldn't say that," Itachi said as he studied the surrounding area. Neither he nor Zabuza had felt the presence of other ninja, but he knew that superficial inspections were often insufficient. After checking the area again, he turned back to Zabuza, who had closed his eyes to strengthen his sense of sound. Taking a breath, Itachi continued.

"The Uchiha clan has developed a high-level transformation technique that can only be undone by fatal or nearly-fatal injuries. Godaime is already expecting me to bring in a few kids from Haku's clan; it won't make a difference to her if I bring one or two, so I can disguise you as a child from Haku's clan."

Zabuza glared down at the shorter man. "_Child?_ Why not an adult?"

"Godaime asked me to only bring back children," Itachi replied in a stony voice. "It would be best if you were a year or so older than Aka."

He studied Zabuza's face for a moment.

_If I do this, I'll be able to see Haku soon. I don't know what could have happened to him while he was forced to stay with a fake master._

That thought made his mind up for him.

A smile graced Aka's pale face. The big man wasn't going to be so big and scary anymore.

"And I'll need to use the same technique on you, Aka," Itachi added. When she gave him a puzzled look, he put his hand over her stomach.

"It will make things easier for you."

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Haku sighed as he relaxed in the public bath tub. Dinner had already begun but he had decided to miss the beginning of dinner so that he could have the chance to bathe in private.

Team Ten would have caused him a great deal of stress if he had not already been preoccupied with thoughts of the Fake. He almost longed for Team Seven's company once again…or, someone else's.

Haku forced himself out of the bath and he changed into a second training uniform before joining the other students in the dining hall. He was surprised to see Itachi walk past him on his way to the Hokage's office with a girl and boy in tow.

The boy glanced at him and he tried to smile politely. The attention was gone as quickly as it had come, and Haku soon forgot about the boy as he prepared himself for more distractions and bickering.

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Itachi opened the door to Tsunade's office without knocking, and she scurried to hide her bottle of sake and a larger-than-usual drinking glass as he ushered his charges into the room. Tsunade glared at him, though she was not able to glare very hard because she was a happy drunk and she was most certainly drunk at the moment so she had to settle for a slightly demented stare over her current guest's shoulder.

Itachi nodded politely to the blonde man sitting in front of the current Hokage's desk. "Good afternoon, Yondaime," he said.

Yondaime nodded back and turned sideways in his chair to smile at the children who had arrived at the temple with Itachi. Without turning back to Tsunade, he asked, "Should I leave? This seems to be some sort of Hokage business."

Tsunade waved him off. "I need you right now…I mean, if I forget words…or my manners…" She shrugged happily. "'s not like you bein' here will compromise anything…"

Itachi cleared his throat and walked briskly up to the temple leader's desk. "I brought the children from the Yukitori clan, as requested," he said, motioning to the boy and girl who had come with him.

The Hokage raised an eyebrow and took her first look at Itachi's companions. The girl was a little short, quite pale, and had shoulder-length brown hair and bangs that brushed across her forehead. The boy looked a little older and was on the tall side, with short, ruffled brown hair, angry black eyes, a hard jaw line and thin, hard eyebrows. "You are…?"

"She would like to know your names," Yondaime said with a smile.

Itachi nodded. "The girl's name is Aka, and the boy is Momoiro."

Momoiro's eye twitched but he said nothing.

Yondaime turned to Tsunade. "You got that?"

She grumbled some sort of profanity about smart-assed old men and nodded. "Send the girl over to Moegi's room…she doesn't have a roommate right now, so, you know, stuff is cool. And as for the boy…heh heh…"

When she looked at Momoiro again, her eyes widened and she coughed to hide her surprise. "Uh…I don't know, I can't think of anything…" Tsunade turned to Yondaime. "You got a spare bed?"

"I have a sofa bed," he offered. Momoiro's eye twitched again.

Tsunade nodded. "It's settled. Itachi, show Aka to Moegi's room…and then show Momoiro to Yondaime's apartment, and take them both to dinner. They'll train with Team Gai starting tomorrow." She sighed. "Then, the three of you, get the hell out of here. It's after seven, and I'm not plastered." She shooed them out of the room from her desk chair and slumped forward onto her desk when the door was closed.

"Tsunade?" Yondaime asked her softly. "Something on your mind?"

She shrugged. The alcohol hadn't hazed her mind enough, it seemed.

As Tsunade began to pull her bottle of sake back out of the third drawer on her desk, Kotetsu threw her door open, causing her to drop the bottle and spill half of its contents. Ignoring this, Kotetsu strode up to her desk and announced, "Urgent news."

"I don't give a f--"

"The dead body of an unidentified ninja with…well…six arms was found outside the temple gates," he said, not quite sure of that middle part himself. "A variety of wire traps, all multi-layer, were found around the gate as well."

She narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus on the Chuunin. "And…?"

He cleared his throat. "No one is claiming the kill. Even ANBU has stated that none of their members killed the man, or knew of his existence."

"Well, ANBU might not tell the truth," she said, now oblivious to Yondaime's presence. "It might have been someone from the village, don't rule that out."

"Or Ne," Kotetsu added. Tsunade scowled.

"Start an investigation," she said after a minute. "Just see if he's not really from around here, or the surrounding villages. Then start up a list of suspects, but…" she paused.

"Ma'am?" Kotetsu asked, waiting for her command.

Tsunade scowled. "No, don't investigate. He's dead already, so…" She paused and took a breath. "Don't investigate yet. Get the body cleaned up if it hasn't been done already, and don't release any information about the death to ANYONE who hasn't heard yet. I cannot stress enough that you CANNOT investigate the death."

Kotetsu stared at her for a moment. "I think I'll come ask you again tomorrow," he said, "when you're…lucid."

"When you're not plastered," Yondaime explained. Kotetsu nodded.

She waved the Chuunin off and he left her office. When the door was shut again, Tsunade rubbed her forehead and looked over the paperwork that had accumulated on her desk.

Yondaime picked up one document. "The library wants new shelves, hm?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Whatever, there are plenty of trees around here, aren't there?" she asked, dropping her pen in one of her desk drawers and shutting the drawer dramatically before leaving her desk chair. "Come on, old guy," she said, motioning for the blonde man to join her. "If I don't get out of here I'm going to jump out of a window."

"And what will your assistant say?" Yondaime asked, not bothering to point out the fact that he was at least ten years younger than Tsunade. She ignored him as a migraine hit her full force.

_So the real deal's back. This might speed things up._

_What's his plan this time?_

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Once he'd come upon an empty hallway, Itachi turned around to address Zabuza and Aka. The former was still holding his tongue on the subject of his name; he didn't want any information to leak out from their group.

_Fucker._

Itachi first turned to Aka. "You're going to stay with a girl from Team Gai. She's about your age, though I don't know anything else about her. The temple will provide you with clothing beginning tomorrow."

When he turned to Zabuza, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Zabuza glared in response.

_Fucker._

"You'll stay with the blonde man you just met."

"Fine." _It doesn't really matter who he is, just as long as I have a place to go to while I'm pretending to be a kid._

"Naruto lives with him as well." The other corner of Itachi's mouth twitched in an attempt to hide his smile.

"That blonde kid?" Zabuza hissed at him, forced to look upward to meet Itachi's eyes now.

Itachi nodded. "Naruto lives with Yondaime. I take it that you've met him?"

"_HEY!"_

"_Let Haku come over, you weirdo!"_

"_Hey! BANDAGE FACE!"_

The now-teenaged Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "Yeah."

Itachi turned to face them both, his smile well-suppressed. "You'll both train with a team of thirteen-year-olds starting tomorrow, under the eye of Maito Gai."

_That name sounds familiar…_Zabuza thought.

With a quick look around the hall, Itachi stooped down to Aka's and Zabuza's level and whispered, "You two are supposed to be cousins, presumably, so stick together most of the time. That means that you two need to be together even when you're not with your team, or when there's no real reason for you to be together."

Aka sent a sideways look at the now slightly-less-scary Zabuza, a look that he met with a thin-browed glare. She stared back blankly before turning to Itachi. "You're not going to stay with me?"

"I need to check up on you about once a day for my research," he said, "but I won't be with you all the time anymore. Zabuza will look after you, so be a good girl," Itachi said as he ruffled her hair.

"I will not," Zabuza grumbled under his breath.

Itachi pulled back and stood up. "Now, Momoiro, look after your little cousin Aka. She's younger than you are, and she needs your love and attention."

Zabuza glared back at him.

_Fucker._

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When Haku made his way to the dining hall, he ran into Sakura in the hallway. The medical-nin was carrying a large stack of medical records; these all fell to the floor along with said medical-nin.

Haku knelt down and began to straighten out the records with Sakura. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't watching where I was--"

His black eyes found an unusual name on one of the folders and he stared at it for a moment before adding it to the stack of the folders he was holding.

FAKE

"It's okay," Sakura said. "They weren't in order, so you don't have to worry about it. These belong to the kids who visited the auxiliary nurse's office in the academy wing today." She took the stack he'd made and smiled at him warmly before standing up.

"I wasn't watching where I was going anyway," she said, brushing her skirt off as Haku stood. "You know, I just went over there and they made me put in a shift all of a sudden, the slave-drivers…" she laughed a little too brightly and was on her way to the main medical office.

Haku sighed and he resumed his journey to the dining hall.

Recovery had been a little easier this time. No casual observer would have caught the exchange that had taken place.

Haku dusted off his own robes as he entered the dining hall. He saw Itachi walking with Kakashi and Kurenai into the room reserved for teachers, and he also saw Sasuke sitting at a table with Naruto, glancing at his older brother and smiling before turning back to whatever he'd been speaking about with his teammate.

He couldn't help but hope that the person he missed would come back to him soon.

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Zabuza and Aka followed an orange-haired girl named Moegi into the dining hall. Moegi, it seemed, was well-versed in the art of conversation and spoke nonstop about clothing with Aka, who stared at her blankly and nodded whenever there was a pause in the one-sided conversation.

"Well," she said, changing the subject, "the boys on my team aren't very good-looking. Actually, they're two of the ugliest boys who ever set foot in the temple, especially Udon. Konohamaru used to be REALLY bad-looking but he's gotten a little better. He still needs a haircut but at least he bathes more than he used to, and he's not missing teeth anymore, but Udon…ew! It's like he has asthma attacks twenty-four-seven! And neither of them can dress worth--"

"Moegi!"

The orange-haired girl fell silent when her teacher loudly interrupted her rant as he dashed across the dining hall to meet her. Zabuza's eyes narrowed and a vein in his temple throbbed when he recognized the man who was supposedly going to 'train' him for the duration of his second childhood.

"_How is your student? Is he burning with Youthful Power?"_

"_I remember the days when I watched over a team of teenagers burning with Youth!"_

"_Be off, and enjoy your Burning Youth!"_

Gai posed once he was in front of Moegi and his new students. "Oh!" he shouted in excitement. "I see that you have brought your new teammates with you, Moegi!" Gai smiled widely at them, showing them his bright white, square-shaped teeth. He knelt before Aka. "My name is Maito Gai, Youthful Little Girl!"

When Aka said nothing in response, Zabuza died a little inside and decided to speak to Gai. "This is Aka, my cousin," he said, tapping her shoulder. She stared at his hand and he removed it.

Gai smiled at Aka. "It's nice to meet you, Aka! You must be tired from your Journey on the Path of Life! But the Fire Country Air will give you back your Spirit in no time!" He punched Zabuza's shoulder and grinned at him. "What's your name, Youthful Boy?"

Zabuza's eye twitched as he choked out, "Momoiro. Yukitori Momoiro."

His new teacher blinked at him for a moment before laughing hysterically. "Now, that is a VERY Youthful Name! For a Youthful Boy!" Gai stood up and gave them a thumbs-up. "I will eat with the other teachers, but you two should follow Moegi so she can introduce you to your other teammates!" He saluted them and left.

Moegi turned back to Aka and smiled awkwardly. "You'll get used to him, probably," she said.

As Zabuza followed the two girls to a table, he scanned the dining hall for his student and the man Itachi had spoken of, the imposter. He found Haku sitting at a table with a fat kid, a lazy kid, and a blonde girl. His eyes lingered for a moment, longer than they had when he had seen Haku in the hallway, before he pulled his focus back to Moegi.

_Haku._

The orange-haired girl sat down with the boy Gai had introduced him to on his first visit to Konoha, a boy with rumpled brown hair. The boy nodded at him in an unimpressed way when Moegi introduced them.

"Hi," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm Konohamaru. My granddad used to run this place. And you are…?"

"Yukitori Momoiro," Zabuza said as he sat down across from Konohamaru. He didn't want to talk to kids…any kids.

Konohamaru smirked. "Momoiro?" He paused to let the ridiculousness of Zabuza's name sink in. "Well, Momoiro, me and Udon'll show you the ropes tomorrow." He indicated the boy sitting next to him, who had brown hair cut into a bowl shape and a thick pair of glasses. "I'm one of the top ninja in my year," he added smugly.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes but kept silent. It wouldn't do for him to reveal his true identity, even if he really wanted to put this little kid into his place.

Still silent, Aka let Moegi talk on as she rubbed her now-flat stomach. She still felt the same size she'd been before, and she could still feel the weight of the baby she was carrying, but she couldn't see it and that unnerved her.

"Go get some food," Moegi said to her suddenly. She nodded and tapped Zabuza on the shoulder. He followed her to the serving area.

Zabuza stopped in his tracks when he saw himself walking away from the serving area with Asuma. His eyes narrowed and he scowled before looking away. The imposter walked past him without a glance in his direction, and Zabuza turned around in time to see Haku glance at the imposter.

_Haku._

Haku looked away quickly and Zabuza watched him speak with the fat kid again. The imposter disappeared into the teacher's dining room and Zabuza turned to follow Aka, who was regarding him with wide eyes.

"Very lifelike," she said blandly, waiting for a response.

Zabuza nodded.

_He'd better keep away from Haku._

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Itachi took the small cup of sake that Tsunade offered him and downed it gracefully. When she tried to refill the cup, he waved his hand in the air to signal, 'no more' and she shrugged before passing the sake bottle around to the teachers who'd come to the private dining room that night.

"My my, Tsunade," Kakashi said as he swirled around the sake in the cup he'd been given. "I thought you usually horded all your alcohol. What's the occasion?"

The Hokage smiled broadly as she sat down, propping her chin up on her left arm. "Well, Shizune asked for the day off, which is a very rare thing indeed," she said, pausing to open a new bottle of sake, "so I thought, what the hell, if she gets a day off then I get a day off, so I got drunk and I'm making a lot of bad decisions right now. Yondaime was watching over me earlier but he went off a while ago…" Tsunade hiccupped.

Kurenai raised her cup in a toast. "To taking advantage of inebriated elders!" she called. The other teachers, Zabuza included, raised their cups.

Kakashi nodded at Tsunade, and she nodded back. He held his cup still in his hands as the room's occupants drank their sake…all but Zabuza, who began to raise his glass and then lowered it to the table.

Gai slammed his cup down to the table. "We must remember, though, that although Tsunade is truly quite old, she is Youthful in Spirit and…appearance."

The room broke out in giggles.

Anko, who had been silent up to that point, grinned at Itachi. "So, prodigy, how was your mission?"

"It was decent enough, I suppose," he answered flatly. "We were able to bring back a significant amount of Yukitori heirlooms as well as two children from the clan."

"That's a laugh!" Tsunade broke in, turning to Anko. "Who'd of thought that Uchiha Itachi, the people-hater, could stand to travel with two kids?"

Itachi bristled under his skin but kept a cool exterior. _It would do Godaime good to watch her words while she is drunk. _"Those two are the reason that it took so long for me to return to the temple," he admitted. It was true, if only half-true.

"Oh!" Kurenai said, covering her mouth with her hands. "Itachi, could it be that you're…"

"Yes," Kakashi said as Itachi began to frown at his peers. "He really has become the temple's babysitter."

Another round of giggles went around the room, and Itachi sighed as he focused his attention on keeping his eyes away from the fake Zabuza. It would be easy enough to avoid him; as his irresponsible Hokage had pointed it, Itachi did not enjoy the company of other people. The same could be said of the real Zabuza, but as for the fake…

He'd have to watch him out of the corner of his eye.

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Momoiro is Japanese for pink. Itachi would have named Zabuza this for several reasons: 1) Aka means red, and Haku means white, so naming a Yukitori boy after a color kind of makes sense. 2) Red plus white equals pink. 3) One way to annoy a tough guy is to link him to the colors pink or purple…unless he likes those colors. Which Zabuza doesn't.

Another note: I'm leaving it up to the reader to figure out who I'm talking about when I say 'Zabuza' and 'Momoiro'. If the scene is not in Zabuza's POV then he'll be referred to as Momoiro or Zabuza; if it is in his POV then he'll be Zabuza, but everyone will call him Momoiro. And if I say 'Zabuza' but you know that Zabuza is somewhere else, then I'm talking about the Fake.


	30. Chapter 30

Folded Hands, Chapter Thirty

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, in all honesty InoChouji, possibly others later

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Notes:

Thanks for the reviews, once again! Someone already caught one of my typos and I corrected it, thanks!

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Night came and went. The tension Haku had felt was drained away the next morning, though he did not know why.

When he awoke, Sasuke was looking through his own closet. He turned around and nodded at Haku when he heard the water-nin sit up in bed, then grunted a 'good morning' before pulling some clothes out of his closet and shutting the door.

Words came freely to Haku now. "I saw that your brother came back."

Sasuke turned around again, a little surprised, and a smile lit his face. "Yeah, he did. I haven't been able to speak with him yet, though." As if he expected the conversation to go on, he sat down on his bed and faced Haku.

"Did you see the kids he brought with him?" Sasuke asked conversationally.

Haku nodded. "A boy and a girl." He paused. "I wonder who they were."

His roommate shrugged. "Maybe I'll ask if, if he can get away from training today long enough to talk to me." With that, Sasuke took his clothes and left for the bathroom.

A light, warm feeling took hold of Haku's chest, and he smiled as he stretched in preparation for the day.

_He'll come back, too. I know he will._

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Zabuza woke at daybreak in accordance with his body's internal clock. He looked around the room he'd been given and shook his head in disgrace.

Yondaime's spare room was nice, yes, and his current bed was better than the sofa bed that he'd originally been promised, but this situation was the opposite of the one he wanted to be in.

_Taking up some old guy's guest room while I'm disguised as a child…not to mention…Naruto…_

He kicked off the covers and left his bed. A quick search through the chest of drawers the room held yielded a navy training uniform, Konoha-style, in his new size. Zabuza changed into it as feelings of disgust washed over him.

_It's been ten years since I was this small!_

A glance in the mirror only worsened his mood. He'd given up his bandages as a part of his disguise, and Itachi had even given him eyebrows. His coloring had been changed, if only slightly, to match Haku's. He noticed that his skin was a little pinker now, and his hair was darker. The transformation had also smoothed his skin and hidden the appearance of muscles in his legs, arms, chest…everywhere. His body did not look completely weak, but…it was still disgusting for him to have to look like that.

Zabuza picked up the last part of his disguise: a Konoha Temple forehead protector. He stared at it for a moment before tying it across his forehead at a slant, mimicking the bandages he'd once worn over his forehead. The mirror told him that this made him look too much like himself, but he hated the damned forehead protector anyway so he ended up shoving in his robe until the situation called for it.

He left his room and closed the door behind him. A light in the study told him that the old blonde guy was probably up by now, so he walked past that room on his way to his current destination and waved. Yondaime looked up, nodded, and returned to the document he was reading.

His walk took him to a room he'd usually never want to go in to. Zabuza braced himself before throwing the door open and striding up to its sleeping occupant.

Naruto lay on his side with his legs bent and an arm thrown over his face, snoring. A strange-looking nightcap covered his blonde hair.

Zabuza glared at Naruto for a moment before shutting his door. The blonde ninja turned in his sleep when he heard the door close, but his eyes remained shut.

"Kid," Zabuza said in the deepest voice he could manage in his current form. "Wake up."

The scarred young man opened his eyes and squinted at him. "Pink-boy?" he asked groggily.

A vein in Zabuza's temple twitched. "Shithead, it's me," he snapped. "Now get the fuck out of bed and show me around."

Naruto glared at him as he sat up in bed. "Now aren't you rude, huh?" He yawned and blinked dumbly at the annoyed water-nin.

_Dumbshit doesn't recognize me? _Zabuza thought. The blank look on Naruto's face agreed with this.

"I'm going to get my point across with as few words as possible," Zabuza said. As Naruto opened his mouth to say something, Zabuza held up one hand. "Silence. I swear to God that if you say anything, or interrupt me, or make me take longer explaining this to you than I'd like, that I'll thrown you right out of your bedroom window."

Naruto gave him a bizarre look but kept silent.

'Momoiro' cleared his throat. "It's me, Momochi Zabuza. Don't ask—hey, I said keep your damned mouth shut!" he said as Naruto tried to interject. Zabuza continued. "Haku is staying here, and I found out yesterday that there's an imposter here pretending to be me. I said keep your mouth shut! I came back from a mission with Itachi, and we brought a little girl from Haku's clan here with us. Itachi disguised me as a boy from the clan when he learned that—and if you question this so help me God—there was an imposter."

Naruto shut his mouth once more and waited for the story to end. When Zabuza said nothing else, he cocked his head to the side.

"So…you're Zabuza?" He squinted before shaking his head. "No way." The blonde ninja thought for a moment before saying, "If you're Zabuza, then you should be able to answer some questions that only Zabuza could answer."

Zabuza narrowed his eyes but complied. "Shoot."

"Okay." Naruto took a breath. "What does Haku look like?"

A little taken aback by the simplicity of the question, Zabuza shrugged. "Long dark hair, black eyes, a little taller than you…"

Naruto folded his arms and nodded. "Well, that one's right. Here's the next question." He looked over Zabuza's shoulder and thought for a moment while the water-nin's aggravation deepened. "What's your relationship to Haku?"

Zabuza raised an eyebrow. _Damned eyebrows. _"He's my slave and my student."

"He is, huh?" Naruto asked, glaring at Zabuza. The game of questions had changed. "Why haven't you let him free?"

"I have no reason to."

Naruto jumped off his bed and glared at Zabuza, who was now eye-level with him. "What do you mean, you have no reason? You can't make him stay your slave! It's not right!"

Zabuza glared right back but kept his cool. "There is no right or wrong in it, kid. I want him to stay with me and stay with me he will, on my terms."

"You know," Naruto said, clearly fuming, "you could still teach him if he wasn't your slave. That's perfectly acceptable." He took a breath and looked to the side before closing his eyes. "You're Zabuza, alright."

The transformed Zabuza nodded. As he left the room, he said over his shoulder, "Keep it to yourself. I don't know who else here's an imposter."

Naruto blinked. "How did you know I wasn't one?"

Zabuza turned around and gave him a 'dumbass' look. "Who'd want to be you?"

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Nara Shikamaru awoke with a slight headache. He left his room quietly so as to not wake Chouji, his teammate, roommate, and longtime friend, to visit the bathroom before the morning run. The walk to the bathroom and back was enough exercise for him, though, so once he'd changed into his navy Konoha training uniform, tied his forehead protector to his arm, and pulled on his training shoes, he once again left the comfort of his room and began his search for the Sandaime.

This was a normal morning for Shikamaru.

_Old man beat me last time, _he thought. _There was no other reason for me to go back to my team. I just didn't want the old man to rub his victory in my face the next time I saw him._

Shikamaru sighed as he round the corner that took him past the academy section of the temple. He could hear children talking in one of the rooms.

"Ew! I don't want to be on a team with a girl!" one boy shouted.

One such girl decided to respond. "Well, I don't want to be on a team with a boy! Boys are yucky!"

"Girls have cooties!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"What are cooties?"

He rolled his eyes and quickened his pace.

_It's a temple rule, since girls were allowed into the temple, that there be at least one girl on each three-man team. The elders may not have considered it when they made the rule, but following that distribution can lead to less-than-optimal teams. For instance, Chouji and I wouldn't have to have been teamed with Ino. We could have been teamed with Shino, instead, or Sasuke. No, Sasuke's a jackass. Shino would have worked much better than Ino, though._

Shikamaru saw his teacher standing in the hallway. Hoping to not get caught in the act of dodging the morning run, Shikamaru decided to act cool and try to not draw his teacher's attention.

This was thwarted when Asuma turned to Shikamaru, looked at him hard for a moment, and smiled. "Good morning, Nara."

_Nara? Since when does he call us by our family names? _Shikamaru nodded half-heartedly and cracked a slight smile. "'morning, Master Asuma." he said as he paused in the hallway. _If I try to get away too quickly, he'd think that I'm up to something. _"What's up?"

The Jounin teacher of Team Ten rarely spent time with his team outside of sit-downs, missions, and team dinners. In fact, if asked, most of the temple's residents and employees would have said that Asuma spent much more time in the company of one, Yuhi Kurenai, than he did with his three-man team.

Not that they complained or anything.

So Asuma shrugged. "Not much. Hey, how's training with the new kid going? You showing him the ropes?"

"Who? Haku?" Shikamaru asked. _Damn damn damn, I was hoping I wouldn't get pulled in to teaching him today. _"Uh…yeah, he's doing fine. Chouji's the one who's teaching him, though. Ino and I are pretty useless at that kind of stuff."

"That kind of stuff?" his teacher asked in curiosity. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and waited, thinking that his teacher was trying to be funny.

When Asuma said nothing and continued to wait for an answer, Shikamaru added, "Taijutsu. I mean, I'm decent when it comes to fighting non-specialists, but Haku isn't…well, and Ino sucks just as badly as I do…but you know that."

His teacher breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, right, taijutsu. I'll have you two work on that, so we can get you up to speed." Asuma waved him off and Shikamaru began to seek Sarutobi once more.

_He's going to train us? Since when?_

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"That lazy asshole!" Ino shouted as she walked with Haku and Chouji to the dining hall after their morning run. Haku had found that he was by far the fastest out of the three, and he planned to run by himself the next morning, if only to have some time to think by himself.

Ino fumed. "We had, like, a fight yesterday, so now he's going to ditch us again? UHH!" she threw her hands up in the air, complaining to no one in particular and not expecting a response of any kind.

"Shikamaru did run with me yesterday," Haku pointed out, although 'run' was a terrible exaggeration.

"He did?" Chouji asked. He turned to his female teammate. "That's a start. If he's okay running with Haku--"

"I know," Ino said, cutting him off. She spun around, her face dead serious. "I know, he doesn't want to run with me. So, wouldn't it just be so much easier if I ran by myself, and you two could run together, and--"

"That's not what I meant. And, if you did do that, you could run with Haku, or Sakura." Chouji held up his hands defensively as Ino's mouth shot open. "I'm just saying, that if you two aren't going to get along with each other face-to-face then we're going to have to make some compromises if our team is going to work."

Haku fell behind and let them talk. He felt eyes on his back but he knew better than to turn around and look.

"Compromises?" Ino asked. "How can we compromise when he's never going to come out here and talk to us?"

"In all fairness, Ino, you're a little too abrasive and Shikamaru can't function with that…" Chouji paused and Ino looked away.

"You two are ALWAYS like this," she said after a minute. "You always…make allowances for each other…you know, it would be good for him to get out, and not always hide like this…" Ino took a breath and released it slowly before turning back to Chouji. "Look, just forget that I said anything. He just keeps…getting on my nerves."

Haku's attention returned to the trees behind him. The presence had left, but an uneasy feeling settled into the bottom of his stomach. _Maybe it's just ANBU watching me again. I don't see why they'd watch me when I'm still inside the temple grounds, though._

"Sorry for arguing in front of you, Haku," Chouji said apologetically, stealing Haku from his thoughts.

The water-nin shook his head and forced a carefree smile to his face. "It's alright, and I don't think you two were really arguing. I'm just happy to train with your team."

Ino suddenly turned around and jumped on Haku, smothering him in a hug. "Haku's such a great guy!" she exclaimed happily to Chouji. Looking up into her temporary fourth team member's face, she asked, "Haku, can you stay with us forever?"

A real smile lit up his face and he laughed a little. "Please, no."

Chouji chuckled. "Why not?"

"Well, I want to train with my own teacher again." Haku said. Ino released him and acted as if she had not done anything strange. They walked back to the temple in silence for a minute before Ino asked rather calmly, "Haku, do you like your teacher? Master Zabuza?"

Haku nearly tripped, and he was glad that he was walking behind the other two ninja so that neither of them saw it. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

Ino shrugged and turned around so that she was walking backwards now. Pushing some stray hair out of her face, she asked, "I mean, you've trained with Kakashi's team a little, so you know Kakashi, and I saw Itachi training you, and I know you've met Master Asuma, so I was wondering if you'd, you know preferred any of them over Zabuza. Or do you really like being with him? Do you miss being back home?"

_I miss him more than anything._

With the knowledge that a small verbal misstep could send Ino into either a defensive mode or into a very long and nearly one-sided conversation, Haku picked his words wisely. "I don't miss the Water Country very much. I think the climate here is better. And, about Master Zabuza…" The name made his chest burn. "I just can't imagine being with any other teacher."

"Why not?"

Haku swallowed nervously. "I…I just can't."

"Have you been with him for a long time?"

"I've honestly only been with him for a few weeks." Haku admitted. "But he's shown me that…that I can trust him more than anyone else I've ever met." A little embarrassed but determined to answer the question, a question he hadn't thought about nearly enough himself even though it was the most important question his life held at the moment, Haku took a breath and continued. "When I'm with him, there's nothing else that I want, or I don't feel like I want to be away from him or as if I need to be afraid of him. Since I've found a teacher like that, I don't want to look for any others."

_Even if I wasn't his slave._

He looked straight at Ino, still flustered. "Do you feel like you could absolutely trust your teacher, Ino?"

She blinked and then burst out laughing. "Hell no! The bastard never spends any time with us these days anymore, and I wouldn't go to him for help or anything, but on missions…" Ino turned to Chouji and smiled. "Do you remember our old missions?"

The overweight ninja nodded and smiled back. "I think that we trusted him absolutely then. On the field, Master Asuma is pretty amazing."

Ino nodded in agreement and turned back to Haku as she continued walking backwards. "Well, when it comes to missions, I trust him with my life. I guess I get that part. But I wouldn't trust him with anything else. My dad trains me a lot, too, so it's not like I would even have Master Asuma to depend on for that kind of thing. It's the same for Chouji, I think."

"But when we're on missions," Chouji said, "there's no one in the world who I trust more than Master Asuma, Shikamaru, and Ino."

With that, Ino smiled a little and looked away.

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After breakfast with Moegi, Zabuza and Aka met with the rest of Team Gai on one of the training grounds in the forest outside the temple. Konohamaru gave 'Momoiro' a bored look as his teacher excited waved to the two newcomers and shouted things about 'Beginning on the Path of the Fire Country' and 'Bursting Youth'.

"Sorry you had to be on our team," Udon grumbled under his breath when Zabuza took a place beside him for their team briefing.

Zabuza nodded. It was about time that someone apologized.

Gai rubbed his hands together and smiled widely at his students. Aka met this with her usual weird stare and Gai's smile cracked a little. When he turned to 'Momoiro', the disguised water-nin narrowed his eyes a little. Gai laughed at their 'Youthful Antics' and began to address his team.

"Well, Students, Today is the First Morning for all Five of You to TRAIN Together!" he exclaimed, his teeth shining a bright, blistering white. "Now, Itachi told me that you, Momoiro," he said, focusing his attention on Zabuza, "already know a bit about fighting! He even said that your clan trained you in sword play!"

_Sword play! Did that long-haired fucker actually say 'sword play'?_

Zabuza nodded and held his tongue.

With that, Gai turned to Aka. "Itachi also told me that you haven't had any training. Moegi is proficient in taijutsu—that's hand-to-hand combat—so she'll train you while I teach the boys today."

Gai's older female student shrugged in agreement. "Sure."

"Now, boys," Gai said, addressing Udon, Konohamaru, and Zabuza, "my Original Lesson Plan for Today was to have one of my Old yet Youthful Students, an ANBU, help with Training but he was Unfortunately called away on a Mission and he could not come. In Honor of Our New Student, Momoiro, I have changed Today's Lesson Plan to Sword Arts."

Zabuza smirked a little, an action he was more comfortable with when his facial bandages were in place. _If I have to be a kid again and train under some teacher, I'd prefer it if we would keep the material to my specialty. I don't want to have to LEARN anything over again._

Said teacher produced four swords, all in the style of the sword Itachi carried, from his gear pack. Konohamaru's eyes shot opened and he nudged Udon, who smiled and nodded back.

"Udon, Konohamaru, and Momoiro," Gai said, suddenly very serious. "You must remember that these are not like the weapons that you usually use. The are not kunai or shuriken. They're more dangerous than senbon, for kids like you who don't know how to properly use senbon. They're not toys like the other weapons. Understood?" He asked. Once he'd forced a nod out of the three 'boys' he smiled again. "Well, then, It's Time for Your Sword Training to Begin!" Gai shouted as he handed each of them a sword.

Zabuza took his with his right hand. _It's pretty light. My strength is still the same as it was before, even if my body looks smaller._

To his right, Konohamaru carefully unsheathed his sword and admired the metal. Udon just stared at his without unsheathing it.

Their teacher clapped his hands together, drawing all of their attention from the new swords to him. "Well, Boys, it's Time to Start!"

About sixty feet away, Moegi sat her gear pack down on a relatively clean part of the forest floor and straightened her training dress and shorts. Aka looked around the forest soundlessly.

"Oh, it's just ANBU," Moegi said, breaking Aka away from her thoughts. The withdrawn water-nin turned to Moegi and looked at her questioningly.

"ANBU?"

"Yeah," the orange-haired girl answered. "ANBU is basically the secret police and guard squad of the temple, all rolled into one. They're probably just out here right now to watch you and your cousin."

Aka nodded. That explained the uneasy feeling she'd had.

"So," Moegi said, smiling as she sat down on a fallen log. "You don't have any fighting experience?"

"No," Aka replied blandly. _I rarely got to do anything back home. I was in bed all day until I was eleven, when they decided that I was old enough…and then, when I took to childbirth, they had me stay in bed again._

Moegi looked her over. "You're pretty skinny. But, you know, some girls just don't have womanly figures," she said, indicating her own body. Aka stared at her weirdly.

"Womanly?"

The fire-nin nodded. "I have been gifted with a graceful, womanly figure." When Aka continued to stare at her, Moegi rolled her eyes and made an 'hourglass' shape in the air with her hands. "Like this."

Aka frowned. "I look a little like that too."

"No, you're skinny. But don't worry, some girls just bloom later than others. The boys will probably start to like you in a few years." Moegi shrugged. "But back to you being skinny. Most of the twelve-year-old girls who graduate from the academy look pretty much like you…I mean, they're not strong. We got a little training back at the temple, but it was more like a 'whatever gets you by' kind of thing for the girls." She sighed. "Anyway, you'll probably catch up pretty soon, not like that other guy who's training with the Chuunin. He sucks!"

"Other guy?" Aka asked curiously.

Moegi nodded. "There's a teenager who's training with, um…well, he was on Big Bro's team for a while, and now he's training with the other Chuunin. I think he was from the Water Country, just like you, actually. Poor guy is so far behind; I wonder why none of the teachers have told him to give up on becoming a ninja yet."

"Am I going to become a ninja?" Aka asked. This had not been discussed with her.

Moegi gave her a weird look. "Well, that's what people come to the temple for. If you don't want to, then I guess you don't have to, but you should probably get out of the temple."

"What…is a ninja anyway?"

"Oh, wow," Moegi said. She shook her head and patted a spot on the long beside her. "Sit down, we have a lot to talk about."

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Naruto managed to get a spot next to Haku during lunch as soon as he got away from Sakura and Sasuke. His departure was met with shouts of, "Naruto!" and "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" respectively, but he still left them unhindered.

As Naruto plunked his lunch tray (slightly cheaper food than the temple had served for the past week and a half) down next to Haku's, a cheeky grin lit his face. Haku caught his smile and couldn't help but smile back as he watched the scarred ninja silently pull his chopsticks out of their protective sleeve and begin to eat with a look of indestructible happiness on his face.

Hinata took the seat across from Naruto. Gathering up a little courage, she asked, "Did something good happen today, Naruto?"

He smiled back at her and shrugged a little. "Oh, well, there's a new kid staying at Yondaime's place with me. He's from the Water Country, and he's like thirteen or something."

"Did you two get along well?" Haku asked politely.

Naruto bit back a laugh and smiled even wider. "Let's just say he's a pretty funny guy, is all. Really serious, too." With that, the blonde ninja actually had to turn around in his seat so that he could laugh by himself. Hinata sent a worried look in his direction and Haku shrugged before pulling out his own chopsticks.

That bright smile and carefree attitude lit up his day.

_Oh man! _Naruto thought. _I forgot that I couldn't tell Haku! But it's so freakin' funny!_

_Okay, okay, so Haku would probably want to know that his Master, UKKKKK, is here, but Zabuza said not to tell anyone! Ha hah, take that, Bandage Face!_

_I can SO stay silent about this! I'll be the best about staying silent about this! Hell, Zabuza will crack before me, I'll be so good at it!_

"Hey!" Ino said as she walked up to Naruto. He raised his eyes to her now-angry face as she exclaimed, "Get away from my teammate, Uzumaki!"

"Your teammate?" Naruto shouted back. Haku began to turn around but decided to listen to their spat instead.

"Yeah!" Ino replied. She moved his tray to the side and set hers where his had been. "Now, get up! You had your turn with Haku and he's ours now!"

Chouji joined her in time to hear this statement. With an apologetic look at Haku's back, he said, "Ino, you shouldn't really talk about people like you own them…"

Naruto's face lit up again and he started to laugh, to the chagrin of Ino and to the amusement of Haku, for he understood about half of the reason for Naruto's laughter.

Ino stared at Chouji for a moment, open-mouthed and flustered, not sure of how to defend herself, when her blue eyes found Chouji's tray. "Damn it all to hell, Chouji!" she shouted, holding up a plate of french fries while Chouji opened his mouth in protest. "I told you, no fried food!"

"But Godaime finally brought them back! It's been three weeks since she told the kitchen to make those!" Chouji whined, letting Ino change the subject.

"No!" she said, stamping her food. The blonde young woman handed the plate to Naruto. "Here, be a good boy and go eat these with your own team!" she said. With one last smile Haku's way, the scarred ninja left the table and walked over to his teammates' current location, grinning madly in response to the strange looks they both gave him.

Ino rolled her eyes and sat down next to Haku. As Hinata picked up her tray to leave the table, Ino held up a hand without looking and said, "Hinata, you're cool, Shikamaru probably isn't coming so you can sit there."

Distressed, Hinata set her tray back down. _I wanted to move to Naruto's table…_

Chouji sighed as he sat down next to the Hyuuga heiress, but he said nothing else to Ino.

"So, Haku," Ino said in the same authoritative voice she'd used to get Naruto away from the table, "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

He looked up, a little surprised. "I hoped to train with Chouji again."

"Really?" she asked. Ino turned to Chouji. "Do you want a break from training him?"

Chouji shook his head. "Even if I did, I wouldn't want either you or Shikamaru to have to take over because neither of you ever took well to taijutsu."

"That's not all there is, though," Ino said to a somewhat confused Chouji before turning back to Haku. "I could go over transformation and genjutsu and chakra control with you, if you want. I mean, no one's really trained you in that stuff, right?"

"No," Haku said. "Actually, I thought that I was just supposed to learn those things on my own."

Ino, now satisfied with her plans, leaned back in her seat and folded her arms in an authoritative posture. "Well, then, I'll help you train with that stuff from now on, and I'll alternate with Chouji. You really DO need someone to help you learn that stuff; otherwise, it'll just be a big mess. I didn't even understand that stuff all that well when I was at the academy and I learned about it in a book. It took a few months with Master Asuma before I could control my chakra as well as I do now, though my dad helped me out too."

"Well, thank you," Haku replied. He smiled at her and she smiled back, still self-satisfied, before beginning to eat.

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The Godaime sat up stiffly in her office chair when she heard a sharp rapping on her door. Holding her forehead in one hand and steadying herself against the weight of her hangover with the other, she closed her eyes for a moment before shouting, "Come in."

Uchiha Itachi entered quietly and closed the door behind him. Tsunade nodded at him weakly as he sat down in her visitor's chair, holding a file folder that read, 'ANBU Classified'.

Eyeing the folder, Tsunade asked, "Is that from your mission in the Water Country?"

Itachi nodded. "I've compiled my findings from the Yukitori clan, as well as taken an inventory of the artifacts brought back from their compound. The file also contains accounts given by people who lived in the nearby village, White Town. All that's missing is…"

"…information on the kids and Haku," she finished for him. Itachi nodded again, grateful that Tsunade had the presence of mind to include 'Momoiro' as one of the clan's children and to not let his actual name or identity slip out like she had been close to doing the night before.

"I'm going to let Gai supervise Aka's and Momoiro's training for the next few days," he said sternly. "I've been given a few men to assist me in the information-gathering portion; two of them watched this morning's training session. I'm still waiting for their reports."

"And as for Haku?"

"I've researched ninjutsu typical of the Water Country," Itachi said. "I'll begin training him soon, though I don't want to take him away from the teams he works with. It's important for the development of a ninja, to be able to work in a team and to work to complement the talents of those around you."

Tsunade nodded. "Well, you're more than qualified for whatever it is you're going to do, I suppose. Break a leg."

With that, Itachi stood and left her office.

_Surely Itachi knows what's going on, _she thought. _He returned from his last mission yesterday, conveniently on the same day that an unidentified ninja was found dead outside the temple. Kotetsu's report said that the first ANBU on the scene found evidence of a battle…a brief battle. I don't know anything about the unidentified ninja's strength or his abilities other than the fact that he had six arms, but it's a sure fire bet that Itachi would have been strong enough to kill him without much of a fight, hence the short battle._

_If I can assume that the imposter and the unidentified ninja are related, or rather WERE related, then I can also assume that Itachi knows at least a little about the current conspiracy at the temple._

_Not to mention the fact that it seems that Momochi Zabuza has returned to the temple, in disguise. I wouldn't have caught it if I hadn't already known that there was a Zabuza imposter here at the temple._

_So I've got Itachi on my side…or, that's all I can hope for. If Itachi is working for the other side, then I don't know how much time is left for our temple._

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During their late lunch, Konohamaru and Udon couldn't help but stare at their new teammate, Momoiro. Every student and teacher at the temple who saw the looks on their faces thought that the new student either had the ability to mentally issue death threats to his male teammates, or that the new kid must have had a major attitude to be able to hold Konohamaru's attention.

The latter part was partially right, and the former would have been true, perhaps, if Zabuza could use telepathy, but the true reason was that neither Konohamaru nor Udon could forget that morning's sword training session.

"So, Momoiro," Udon asked after a few minutes of silence. The noise that Moegi sometimes provided was absent due to the fact that she had ushered Aka away to the 'girls' table' for Genin. "You really spent a lot of time training with swords in the Water Country, huh?"

Zabuza nodded distractedly. He couldn't get over the feeling of air on his naked face. _It is easier to eat this way, though; I don't need to wait to eat in private. Not that I like being in public for any reason, anyway._

"I think you fried Gai's brain a little," Konohamaru said. "But, you know, he doesn't usually use swords, so…"

'Momoiro' shrugged. "Whatever, at least I got some practice this morning," he said as he looked over Udon's shoulder to the table where several of the older kids sat. Haku was still sitting with the same kids Zabuza had seen him with the night before.

"Um…" Udon said. He glanced at Konohamaru before continuing. "Maybe you shouldn't train with Genin."

"Genin?" Zabuza asked.

"Yeah," Konohamaru said. "You know, the lowest level of ninja, Genin?"

Zabuza shook his head. "I don't know the names for everything here."

Konohamaru sighed before explaining. "Genin are the lowest level of ninja in the temple. To become a Genin, one must attend the temple's academy and pass a certain test by the age of fourteen. The next level is Chuunin, the 'middle ninja'. Most of the adults in the temple are Chuunin level. To become a Chuunin, you have to pass another test, but it's much harder, and longer, and there's no age requirement. You also have to pass the Chuunin exam in a group of three. Next is the Jounin level, the 'high ninja'. Jounin are incredibly strong, and to become a Jounin you need to be a Chuunin and you need to pass an even harder test than necessary for becoming a Jounin. There are also other levels around Jounin, but it gets complicated after that and I don't want to explain it. Anyway, you seem…a little too strong for a Genin. Maybe you could ask Gai to let you take the Chuunin exam the next time it's held."

_Of course I'm stronger than the lowest level of ninja here, _Zabua thought. He was a full-grown man, an assassin, a murderer.

"I don't think that's necessary," was his reply.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Whatever you want, it's just that the 'Genin' classification doesn't seem right for you."

At the girls table, Moegi tapped Aka on the shoulder and said, "You remember the other guy I was telling you about, the one from the Water Country?"

Aka nodded blankly.

"He's sitting at one of the tables behind us! Look really carefully, so he doesn't know we're talking about him," Moegi whispered. "He's the guy with long brown hair. He looks just like you."

Aka turned and looked. She'd seen him the day before; he'd smiled at Zabuza.

_He's little now._

"Turn around! Turn around!" Moegi whispered. Once Aka had complied, she said, "If you stare at someone around here, they might think you're making trouble, or worse, that you LIKE them! You don't want rumors like that going around about you and an older student!"

Aka frowned. "What do you mean by 'like'?"

Moegi gave her a strained look and said, "You know, someone you want to be with and do stuff with. Someone you want to be around."

"I wish I was with Itachi now," Aka said firmly. "I enjoyed being around him."

This caught the attention of the other girls at the table. One said, "I like Itachi too! He's so cool, and strong, and he's a genius!"

Moegi nodded. "It's okay to like someone cool like Itachi…I think every girl at the temple likes him actually."

"Yeah," another girl affirmed.

_I didn't feel so lonely when I was with Itachi. I felt like I had…someone. Like family. I think that he knows how to take care of people. I liked that._

_Itachi said he'd visit me everyday. I wonder how soon I'll see him._

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"Okay!" Ino said enthusiastically, clapping her hands together in preparation for her first lesson. Haku sat on the ground in front of her and Chouji rested on one of the rocks located around the lake, watching the progress of the lesson.

"First things first! Chakra control!" To demonstrate chakra control, Ino stepped onto the lake and began to walk across the water. "When you've mastered chakra control, you will be able to walk on water!"

"I can actually do that now," Haku said quietly.

"What?" Ino took a step back in surprise. "I thought you said you couldn't control your chakra!" She retraced her steps to the shore.

"I'm not really sure about it myself," Haku admitted, "but I've been able to walk on water ever since I was little."

"It might be because of his Bloodline Limit," Chouji offered.

"Well, then," Ino said after a moment of thought, "forget about walking on water, you still need to master chakra control. You've read about chakra in the textbooks, right?"

Haku nodded. "Chakra is the source of a ninja's power. It circulates, like blood or lymph, through each human's body and can be focused, molded, or unleashed."

"Correct!" Ino said, folding her arms and nodding her head in agreement. "Now that you know that people CAN manipulate chakra, let me show you HOW they can manipulate chakra."

The blonde young woman walked up to the nearest tree and said, "Watch closely," before planting one of her feet firmly on the tree trunk. Haku watched in surprise as she began to walk up the tree trunk, completely unsupported. His eyes darted to the small amount of blue light visible between her feet and the tree trunk.

"Is that chakra?" he asked, pointing to the light.

"You can see it?" Chouji asked him before he turned towards Ino and squinted. "Oh, I guess you kind of can see the chakra."

"Really?" Ino asked, lifting one foot off the tree trunk to look. She instantly regretted this when her 'foothold', so to say, was lost and she fell from the tree trunk. Ino caught herself, though, by refocusing her chakra on the soles of her feet and regaining her composure.

"Lesson number one in chakra control: concentration," Ino said, still flustered from her near-death experience. Chouji let out a sigh of relief and put his hand over his heart as Ino's new student smiled up at her wearily.

To prevent any other such mishaps, Ino jumped down from the tree trunk and dusted off her hands. "Okay," she said, turning to face Haku, "now, you try. Focus your chakra on the soles of your feet and see if you can't stand on the tree trunk like I did."

The water-nin closed his eyes and tried to imagine his chakra circulatory system cycling throughout his body, blue zephyr running along veins and arteries and nerves. He unconsciously raised his hands in front of his face and held them together in an effort to concentrate.

_Go down to my feet, _he thought. _My attachment to this world is the strongest at my feet. My attachment to this world is the strongest at my feet. Without that, I am weightless._

Haku opened his eyes and walked over to the tree Ino had jumped from. He raised one foot to the tree trunk and planted the sole of his foot to the tree. _Now, my attachment to this world will exist only between my feet and this tree. Without this tree, I am weightless._

He took a deep breath and removed his other foot from the ground. The weight that leg had held found its way to his other foot and he balanced his body in the air precariously for a moment, one foot stuck to the tree and the other leg frozen awkwardly in the air, unsure of what to do.

Amidst a gasp from Ino, Haku swung his other leg in front of the first one to balance himself and held out his arms as if he was trying to walk across a narrow bridge. He held his breath and fought two sources of gravity as he realized that he had only redirected his chakra to his right foot, and not his left. Remedying this caused him to slide down the trunk a few inches, but he was soon stabilized on the tree trunk, standing horizontally in mid-air.

"Wow!" Ino said, covering her hands with her mouth. She nudged Chouji. "Oh my god, oh my god, look! He did it!"

As Haku took another step, and another, Ino squealed and started jumping up and down. Beside her, Chouji nodded. "Kids with Bloodline Limits often find chakra control easier than those without. There are exceptions…as I heard, Sasuke had some difficulty with this a few years ago…"

Haku took one more step and held himself in place on the tree trunk, about ten feet off the ground. _It actually feels like I'm standing on the ground, _he thought, _but gravity from the Earth is still pulling down on my hair and clothes. _He jumped down from the tree just as Ino had done and straightened his clothing before turning to his 'teachers' and waiting for more instructions.

Ino gathered herself and said, "Okay, well, that didn't take as long as I thought it would. You can do other things with chakra, too, but it kind of depends on your specialty."

"Specialty?" Haku asked.

"Yeah, like if you use puppets you can make chakra threads, or you can infuse things with chakra, or you can make things move…I honestly don't know everything about it because there are just so many ways that chakra can be used. Hinata, for example, can draw chakra out of her hands and her ANBU cousin, Neji, can form a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree shield out of it. The list goes on and on; now you kind of have to figure out how you want to use it, and I can try to help you do it."

Haku sat down on one of the rocks by the lake. "How would I use chakra…" he asked himself quietly.

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Gai laid his head down on the main table of the dining hall reserved for teachers. "How could this happen…" he lamented through a thick outpour of tears.

"Something got you down?" Asuma asked.

The smooth-haired teacher turned to Asuma and nodded. "That new student…that new boy…he's already a better swordsman than I! WHY?" he asked, reaching up to the heavens and calling out in grief. "Why is this happening to me? Is it because I insulted his name? His NAME? I take it back! Momoiro is a wonderful name! I'll name my first son Momoiro, just give me the skill I need to do my part as this boy's teacher!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he sat down across from Gai. "Who are you talking to?" he asked.

Gai sat up quickly and wiped his eyes dry. "You, my Eternal Rival! Practice the sword with me! If you win, I swear that I'll do two-thousand pushups! I'll buy you a bookcase for all of your fashionably orange books! I'll even wash all of your half-masks!"

"Now, big guy," Kakashi said, patting the insane jounin on the back, "that doesn't sound like the Maito guy I know. He doesn't bargain; he shouts whatever he wants, even when no one else really gets what he's saying."

Gai tackled the silver-haired teacher with a bear hug. "Kakashi! You are a Great Man indeed! Your Words of Youthful Wisdom have Invigorated my Spirit! I SHALL teach that boy how to Use the Sword!" As he stood to find 'that boy', Kakashi pushed him back down into his chair.

"Tomorrow," Kakashi said. The clinic staff had gone home for the night and he didn't want poor overworked Kabuto to have to clean up whatever mess the black-haired man was going to create.

"Tomorrow," Gai repeated as solemnly as he could.

Uchiha Itachi entered the room and closed the door behind him. When he looked around the near-empty room, he silently reopened the door and stepped out.

_It looks like Tsunade hasn't come yet. I can sneak in a few minutes with Sasuke._

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	31. Chapter 31

Folded Hands, Chapter Thirty-One

Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, Ino/Chouji, possibly others later

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Notes:

sona—

Aka will NOT be with Itachi.

All—

More art up! There's even a picture of Haku!

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Haku sat down next to Ino that night, at a diagonal from Sasuke. Chouji took this as most people at the temple would—Ino still liked the Uchiha boy, didn't she?—and sat down on Ino's other side.

Sasuke nodded at Haku. "How's training?" he asked coolly.

"I think it's going rather well," Haku replied. "Ino is teaching me basic ninjutsu."

A look of horror came over Sasuke's otherwise placid face. "We…forgot…oh…"

"It's alright, Sasuke," Chouji said before Sasuke could continue. "The Hokage can't expect any one team to try to teach him everything. We've each only got a week with him, so it's alright if all Team Seven could teach him was taijutsu. I must say that Haku is already very skilled in taijutsu, for a beginner."

"Well, he's a good student," Sasuke said, trying to recover from his team's mistake.

The table fell silent when Itachi sat down next to Sasuke and across from Haku. The Sharingan heir addressed Haku directly. "How was training today?"

"Good," Haku answered. It was difficult to act normally when the silence at his table cut his voice out of the air.

"Has anyone taught you any water-type jutsu since you've come here?" Itachi asked quietly. "Anyone at all?"

Sasuke sent his older brother a sideways glare and blushed. _Fuck, another thing we forgot. Not that we know any, but we didn't try to look any up, either._

"No," Haku replied.

Itachi turned to Chouji. "He's with your team this week, correct?"

"Yes. He has four more days with our team," the overweight ninja replied. Ino simply stared at the Jounin in stunned silence, waiting for him to teleport away or start spreading ANBU secrets.

"Well, I'd like to train Haku for a few hours each day for the duration of his stay at Konoha Temple," Itachi said in a soft, low voice. "If that would be alright with your team."

Chouji nodded. "I don't see why that would be a problem. Haku can probably learn a lot more from you than he can from us."

Itachi turned back to Haku. "Is that alright? I don't want to disturb any lesson plans."

Ino and Chouji shot each other a look. _Lesson plans?_

Still suffocating under the silence at his table, Haku nodded after a moment and said, "I'd appreciate it if you'd train me, Itachi."

The Jounin nodded. "Good. I'll take the last two hours of each afternoon, right before dinner. Meet me at the door to my foolish little brother's room." Itachi smiled a little when Sasuke elbowed him.

"Bastard," his little brother whispered.

With that, Itachi stood. "It was nice seeing Sasuke and some of his friends again," he said in as polite a voice as he could. Ino nodded as he left.

"Wow!" she said when Itachi was gone. Turning to Haku, Ino continued, "I can't believe you're getting private lessons from THE Uchiha Itachi! He normally doesn't even, like, talk to people or anything! And he's going to teach you!"

"It must be a part of the mission that the Hokage gave him," Sasuke said in a low voice.

Haku watched Sasuke for a moment before asking, "Itachi has given you private lessons before, hasn't he?"

Sasuke nodded, a little surprised. "When I was little, he'd take me to the training grounds every few days, or he'd work on taijutsu with me in the house when mom and dad were gone."

"That's so cool," Ino said, smiling as she played with her food. "I mean, my dad taught me a lot of stuff on his own and he's pretty strong, but he's not like Sasuke's older brother. And my dad had time. I've heard that Itachi is away on missions more often than at the temple or in the village."

_I hope that Sasuke doesn't mind Itachi spending time with me, _Haku thought, _since he rarely has the chance to talk to him._

Across the cafeteria, Zabuza watched Itachi leave the Haku and the 'Chuunin' students and walk over to the table at which he sat with the rest of Team Gai. He'd decided to heed Itachi's advice about sticking close to Aka, and when he sat down with Aka and Moegi at the 'Girl's' table Udon and Konohamaru had followed him, as if they'd follow him into Hell.

Zabuza nodded at Itachi and Itachi sat down across from him. Konohamaru's and Udon's respect for him grew when they realized that THE Uchiha Itachi had chosen to sit, be around, and possibly talk to their new team member.

"Good evening, Momoiro, Aka," Itachi said in a low voice. He turned to Aka. "How is your new team treating you?"

Moegi stared at Itachi, hoping that Aka wouldn't say anything bad. She liked living, and she liked Itachi a little too.

"Fine," Aka said. "I'm finished training for the day, though."

Itachi nodded. "I'll step in during your training starting tomorrow. I was hoping that you could become familiar with your teammates today." He glanced at Konohamaru and Udon, who flinched a little under the heavy look.

"Um, Aka's nice, in a quiet way," Udon said quickly.

Konohamaru nodded. "We'll, uh, go over stuff with her tomorrow."

With that, Itachi turned to Zabuza. "Momoiro, I overheard Gai telling the other teachers that you are very, very skilled in the sword arts."

Zabuza shrugged. "They taught me a little back home."

His male teammates stared at him. He was the first kid they'd ever met who rivaled an Uchiha in coolness.

_It really would've been something if I had been this strong as a thirteen-year-old, _he thought. _But hell, I've worked to become as strong as I am, and I've worked for a long time. The attention is getting a little annoying. It's not so much because they think I'm a child prodigy; it's the child part that bothers me._

"I don't really see a need to supervise in your training," Itachi said. "If you would like me to supervise you, or if you have any questions, you can talk to me when I come to see Aka. I think that you're strong enough to not need the attention, though."

_Woah, _Konohamaru thought. _A kid who's so strong that he doesn't need Itachi's help?_

Itachi stood to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said to Aka. She nodded and he smiled at her before leaving.

"So, why's Itachi so interested in you, Aka?" Udon asked after a minute.

Aka shot him a sideways glance. "Interested?"

"Itachi usually doesn't talk to anyone," Moegi explained. "He doesn't even get to see his own brother most of the time, and I don't know if he has any friends. Not that it's because he's not cool, because he is."

"Does it matter?" Zabuza asked. He started to cut into his second steak for the night.

Udon blinked at him from the shock of his question. "Of course it matters! If Itachi wants to supervise Aka's training then it probably means that she's really strong, or maybe she has a Bloodline Limit!"

_A Bloodline Limit, the same as Haku's, _Zabuza thought. He frowned as he shoved food into his mouth.

"Whatever," Konohamaru said coolly. "And, if you say that, then at the same time aren't you saying that Momoiro ISN'T strong because Itachi hasn't shown an interest in him? And that Aka IS strong, just because Itachi showed an interest in her? Because it kind of looks like it's the other way around."

"Have you been hiding something from us, Aka?" Moegi asked her female teammate playfully.

Aka paled a little and placed one small hand over her abdomen but remained silent.

"We're from another country," Zabuza interrupted them. "That's probably all that it is. And maybe he just thinks that I'm too old for whatever he's planning for Aka."

"But you're only a year older than she is," Udon pointed out.

Zabuza nearly choked on his food. "Well, if you respect him so damned much then you'll respect his decision to train Aka and not me," he growled. His male teammates nodded and started to shovel food into their mouths.

_I'd rather that he spends time looking into this imposter, than training me, _Zabuza thought. _That's not why I came back here._

_I can't leave Haku here while he's in danger._

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When Zabuza returned to Yondaime's living quarters, he found Naruto meditating in the study. Yondaime smiled at him when he walked in the door and rose from his desk to make tea.

Somewhat intrigued by Naruto's meditation, or perhaps just bored, Zabuza sat down in front of the blonde ninja and watched him. It was the first time that he had ever seen the young fire-nin at peace, and it really was quite a sight.

The sound of footsteps alerted him of the fact that Yondaime was standing in the doorway of the room. Zabuza half-turned to face the blonde older man.

"He can't hear you," Yondaime said softly. "I'd suggest not sitting so close to him when he's in that state, though."

"Why not?" Zabuza asked. He didn't move.

"Naruto has attacked me several times in the past, and each and every attack was provoked during meditation," the blonde man answered as he watched his charge look inside himself. "Naruto meditates to overcome a burden that a past leader of this temple laid upon him. The meditative state allows him to control this burden, as well as communicate with its source."

Zabuza turned back to face Naruto. _Sounds like spiritual crap. If he attacks someone when he's meditating, then it's probably just because he's mad that they woke him up from his nap._

The water-nin waved a hand in front of Naruto's face. The blonde young man remained passive, though his nostrils flared a little.

"You can either take my word for it or see for yourself," Yondaime said as he leaned against the door frame. He folded his left sleeve up to the elbow and showed Zabuza four even, deep, parallel claw marks on his arm. "This is the worst wound he's given me. Maybe you wouldn't mind receiving one yourself; they do make boys look a little stronger, though they just look ugly as you grow old and regretful."

Zabuza stared at the marks on Yondaime's arm, and then turned to look at Naruto's hand. As soon as the blonde man had left the room, Zabuza backed away from Naruto and stood up to look around the study.

As he read a map of the world posted on Yondaime's wall, he glanced back at the meditating young man. _What could make a kid do that? He's grateful to that old man, isn't he? Why would he attack him? Was it deserved?_

_And why didn't that old man kick him out?_

_If Haku attacked me, actually attacked me, like that, it wouldn't be a life on the street he'd have to worry about. If he ever posed a threat to me or tried to kill me then I would kill him._

_Now that this imposter has taken my place, I don't even know where Haku's loyalties lie. If he's strong, then Haku might have gone over to him. Haku might not even know that he's an imposter._

_I always thought that he was a little smarter, though._

_But he might not want to question the imposter, if he thinks that he's me, even if the signs are present._

_Hell, what do I want him to do?_

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Zabuza turned around, alarmed, to see Naruto on his ass, pointing at him with his mouth wide open.

"No-Eyebrows!" he shouted, "where did you come from?"

"Naruto?" Yondaime asked from the door. Zabuza and Haku turned to see him standing in the doorway, his reaction time too short to be possible, a look of concern across his time-wearied face.

Naruto placed a hand over his heart and sprawled out on the carpet. "Jeez! One moment, I'm meditating peacefully, and the next there's this creepy Bandage Fa—I mean, the kid from the Water Country is in here and I don't remember him being in here! I was about to release it or something!"

"Release it?" Zabuza asked.

"You let your mouth run a little too much, Naruto," Yondaime scolded his charge. The scarred young man sat up and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry, Yondaime," Naruto muttered softly.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "What did you mean by 'release it'?"

"His burden," Yondaime said simply. "Now that you two are done in here, come out to the living room for tea. We can speak in there."

Naruto pulled himself off the floor and followed his guardian into the living room. Zabuza stayed behind for a moment, wondering what they were trying to cover up.

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_When Taro awoke, he was given a new name, though this second name came from the same person as the first one had. When the little blonde boy sounded out his name, his new guardian pointed to the symbol on his stomach._

"_Naruto," he said. "it may sound strange to you now, but you'll find that you'll never be able to forget it, as long as this spiral remains on your body."_

_The little boy tried to rub the mark. "It won't wash off?" he asked after making the skin on his stomache red._

_Yondaime shook his head. "It will stay with you until you die."_

"_Cool!" the boy called Naruto shouted. "I have a tattoo now!"_

_**He's just like Obito**, Yondaime thought as a smile cracked on his face._

_A red-haired medical nin practically ran into the room. "Yondaime, are you alright?" she asked as she closed the door behind her. Her eyes caught Naruto for only a moment before refocusing on the temple leader._

_Yondaime smiled at her. "Rin, have you come to tell me to return to my bed?"_

_She took a deep breath and sighed. "No, I…" the medical-nin interrupted herself by hugging him suddenly and bursting into tears._

_Naruto watched her in confusion. Yondaime patted his old student on the back and said softly, "Rin, don't you have other patients to attend to?"_

_Rin pulled away from him and said, "I will go, in a moment, I just wanted…" she dried her eyes as best she could. "I just heard that you used the sealing technique, and that always has different effects on the user, so I wanted to see you…Kakashi said you were doing fine, but as soon as I came here to work on the other victims I knew that I had to see you for myself." She took another breath and dried her face again, once the tears had stopped falling. "I'll see you later, then…I just had to…"_

_Yondaime nodded. "Now, go. You can help others right now; the only person I've of any use to right now is this little boy."_

_Rin looked at Naruto again. The spiral on his stomach screamed out his identity but she knew better than to ask the questions for which she already knew the answers, so she nodded and hugged her old teacher one last time, wordlessly, before leaving the room._

_The Hokage sighed and he sat down in the chair next to Naruto's hospital bed. The little boy was still admiring the spiral on his stomach._

"_Naruto," Yondaime said after a moment, "that spiral on your stomach is special. It's a mark of bravery, and you were very brave last night, Naruto."_

_Naruto froze and he looked at his new guardian. "You said that you were going to put that demon inside of me."_

"_And we did," the blonde man said. Naruto's blue eyes shot open in shock and Yondaime took a breath. **Here comes the storm.**_

"_So," Naruto said, putting his hands over the spiral, "this…is that monster?"_

"_Yes and no," Yondaime answered. "The monster now lives as a part of your mind. It lives in your body, in your brain. You'll soon find that it will make you much stronger than you were before, but it might also try to intrude on your consciousness and take over your body."_

_Naruto stared at him._

"_But, nothing bad will happen if I teach you how to control it," Yondaime said. "Don't worry; I don't want it to take over your body, and I won't let it. When you start living with me, I'll teach you how to control it."_

"_But…there's a monster in me now?" Naruto asked. "Am I one too?"_

"_Only if you want to be," Yondaime answered with a smile._

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As she walked back to Moegi's room for the night, Aka couldn't forget the boys' earlier conversation. _If Itachi wants to train me, then does it mean that there's something special about me? I know why he doesn't want to train Momoiro, because Momoiro is actually Zabuza and I don't think Zabuza would like a littler man to be his teacher, but why does he want to train me? There are many other students here at the temple, and I couldn't be the best, at least not now, because I don't know anything._

_I still don't really understand what it means to be a ninja._

Aka unlocked the door with the key Moegi had given her. The orange-haired girl had gone off to talk to some of her friends before turning in for the night, leaving Aka to go to sleep in an empty room. Feeling somewhat intimidated by the thought of spending time alone, Aka picked up her bath kit and made her way to the girls' bathroom in her wing.

On her way there, Aka passed by a few windows. She looked outside. The sky was dark and the trees had turned black, but she could still make out green grass and a few scattered flowers lying in the path of light flooding out from the temple and into the world. At home, she had only seen the sky, either blue or black, and clouds and a vast expanse of white snow. There had been occasional thaws during which she had been able to make out green grass and brown mud, and during storms the sky turned different colors, but she had only been able to see it and dream about the rest of the world.

She had been sick ever since her birth, like the few other children she had known growing up, but there was a definite difference: she had lived to the age of twelve and they had not. It was because of this that she had been bedridden and lonely for all of her life, each day the same as the one before. They had started to spend more time with her the previous year, the adults of her clan; there had been pain and confusion and now the results of that had been hidden by Itachi.

Aka did not feel indifferent about Itachi, and now that she was looking out into the dark world on the other side of the window Aka did not feel indifferent about that dark sky and that green grass either.

Movement caught her eye, movement on the other side of the glass, and Aka peered out the window. _What goes on here at night? _She wondered curiously. _Is there training? Or…something else?_

The 'something else' took her feet from that spot and she walked along the wall of the temple facing the inner training grounds to the nearest door outside. She glanced at her bath kit before setting it down next to the door before stepping outside in her bare feet.

Aka stood for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Once she could see again, she looked for the movement she'd noticed before.

_It's near the lake._

With that, she set off in the direction of the movement. Aka spotted beams of light dancing across the shore as several of her fellow students ran around with flashlights, playing a game of tag.

The presence she'd felt earlier that day returned but kept its distance. Aka glanced over her shoulder for a moment, hoping she wouldn't be pulled back into the temple by an adult, before closing in on the students.

She heard Konohamaru before she saw him. He was waving his flashlight around, turning it on and off to tease the 'demon' and his eyes were focused on his pursuer when he ran into her. The moment became stretched out in time as Aka felt her breath draw out, expecting pain.

Aka fell slowly, so slowly that she was able to push her male teammate to the side. The fell to the ground side by side and Konohamaru searched for his flashlight in the dark for a moment before locating it and turning it on her.

"Aka?" he asked in confusion.

"Ouch." was her reply.

Konohamaru's friends noticed the stop in their play and walked over.

"Who is it?" one of them asked. Several beams of light turned onto Aka's pale face and she raised one of her arms to protect her light-sensitive eyes.

Another one, girl this time, walked closer. "It's that new girl," she said.

Aka stared at the others blankly, watching, waiting. Konohamaru waited for her to complain, as he had obviously ran into her, but when the placid girl remained silent he frowned at her. "I didn't know you were out here. Why didn't you say something?" When she didn't reply, his tone rose. "What are you doing out here?"

She turned to him and said, "I just wanted to see what was happening. Now I know." Aka dusted herself off and removed herself from their company, leaving just as she had come, as an observer.

One of Konoha's son's friends stared after her. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Konohamaru said, lifting himself from the ground and shrugging. "She's a little weird."

Once she was back inside, Aka picked up her bath kit and returned to her original path. _That's the start of my list, _she thought with a smile. _I'll see what that world is like._

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The next day, Haku left Team Ten after lunch and made his way to Sasuke's room. Itachi was waiting at the door when he arrived there, just as he had promised he'd be the night before. The Jounin was wearing a different gear pack from the one that Haku had seen him with before.

"Ready?" Itachi asked him. Haku nodded and followed Itachi to one of the training grounds outside the temple.

Once they arrived at a location that had no particular significance to Haku, Itachi stopped walking and took his gear back off. He pulled out two scrolls and three very worn books. The books had come from the Yukitori compound, but Itachi new from the look on Haku's face that the water-nin had never seen them before.

"I'm going to work on basic water jutsu today," Itachi said.

Haku gave him a puzzled look, and Itachi smiled a little before asking, "Are you wondering why we're not at a lake?"

"To be honest, yes," Haku answered.

And then, a terrible though occurred to him.

_What if Itachi isn't Itachi…_

Haku's pulse quickened and he tried to prepare himself for whatever he needed to prepare for.

_I need to act normally…_

"Do you know why we're nowhere near a body of water?" Itachi asked him.

He stared back at Itachi. _What if he's a Fake? What if…what should I do? He might have brought me here to…_

"I have no idea," he answered. _I can't think straight right now._

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "You depend on your Bloodline Limit too much," he said quietly. "So far, you've been able to avoid learning techniques because you've depended on your ability to manipulate water. Or that's how the ANBU report on your unauthorized fight with Sai made it sound."

Haku's throat went dry and he held his breath. It was true, but…could a Fake have known that? Should ITACHI have known that?

"I…I did learn a few water-type jutsu from Master Zabuza," he replied.

"Oh, yes, I heard about the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. Did your master teach you any other?"

Haku's heart skipped a beat, and he released the breath he'd been holding. "Yes, he taught me how to form clones," he said. "Though I honestly used water manipulation to make up for my lack of skill."

_He said Master._

_He said Master._

_He said MASTER._

Itachi nodded. "I take it that Master Zabuza hasn't taught you why your tendency to use your Bloodline Limit, or to overuse it, is limiting your progress as a ninja." When Haku's eyes narrowed in confusion and a question rose on his tongue, Itachi held up a hand for silence.

"There is a fundamental difference between water manipulation and water-type ninjutsu. Elemental summons do not require that the element actually be present. Wind and fire can be easily summoned. There is earth everywhere, and the components of lightning are all around us, so earth-nin and lightning-nin rarely use elemental summons. Water is in the air we breathe, but only in small amounts. It can be summoned like fire and wind, but the way in which normal water jutsu are used is far different from your style of water manipulation."

Itachi let this sink in for a moment before adding, "Water manipulation comes naturally for you, so you've been able to avoid learning a battery of jutsu thus far by relying on your Bloodline Limit. However, your Bloodline Limit is useless when you're away from water."

He set down the books and one of the scrolls on top of his gear pack and opened the remaining scroll. "This scroll was taken from the temple library on water jutsu and contains information regarding the Deep Ice jutsu," he said, turning the opened scroll around to show Haku the hand seals drawn carefully onto the old paper. "The Deep Ice jutsu is a concealment-type technique that allows the user to create a sheet of ice that he or she can step into and attack from. The ice is impervious to attack, though the user can pull his or her enemy into the sheet once it is created."

Haku took the scroll and looked over it for a moment before turning back to Itachi and asking, "Do you know how to perform this jutsu?"

Itachi just smiled and raised his hands chest-level as he formed the first hand seal.

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On his last day with Team Ten, Chouji brought Haku a gift basket from his mother. Haku looked at the basket in confusion as it sat before him on the breakfast table until Chouji shrugged and explained, "I told my mom that you were going to Team Eight tomorrow and she went into tears…she hasn't even met you or anything…"

Upon seeing the basket, Naruto sat down across from Chouji and picked out a roll. "Don't mind if I do…" was all the blonde ninja said in explanation before running off.

Chouji sent Haku a sideways look and he shrugged off the 'attack'.

Ino took command again after breakfast. She now wore a whistle, which Haku assumed she had bought for his training even though that was the first day he'd seen it. The blonde woman brought the whistle to her lips and blew into it loudly, once assuming her coach persona.

"Okay!" she said as Haku stood before her, smiling a little sheepishly as he waited whatever Ino had planned for their last day, if anything at all. Chouji had taken it upon himself to put a dent in the basket his mother had given him for Haku, which Haku was glad for and which Ino really, really wished wasn't happening.

She ignored her cheerier male teammate as he sat on the grass for her part of Haku's training, though. There was no time to waste.

"We're going to go over everything I've taught you so far to make sure you're improved as a ninja since you came onto my team!" Ino shouted. Haku nodded and waited for her command.

Ino pointed at the nearest tree. "You're going to race me at tree-walking! You go there, and I'll take that one!" she shouted, pointing to another tree. They walked up to their respective trees and Haku took a breath as Ino counted, "Three, two, one!"

As soon as Chouji heard the countdown end, he stood up and walked up to the tree Ino was walking up.

Haku made his way up his tree easily. He turned to see Ino running up hers, too, and when she turned to look at him to see his progress she lost her footing and fell down to the exact place where Chouji was waiting for her.

As soon as she realized that Chouji had expected her fall, Ino shook her fist and shouted at the sky, "Damn it!" Haku looked down at them and laughed before walking onto one of the tree's branches and smiling up at the sky himself.

They worked on transformation as soon as Ino called Haku down from the tree. Chouji took his spot on the ground again and was able to settle into his resting place knowing that Ino probably wouldn't hurt herself during this portion of the test.

"Okay!" Ino said again after giving her whistle a blow. Nearby, Hinata and her brown-haired cousin flinched during their Gentle Fist practice and the latter glared at Ino.

"Now, turn into…Sasuke!" Ino shouted.

Haku raised his hands and performed the hand seals. Two seconds later, he reappeared before Ino and Chouji as his own roommate, dressed in black.

"Now…Hinata!"

The Hyuuga heiress spun around after dodging a blow from her cousin upon hearing her name. She caught sight of herself standing in front of Ino and hoped that the blonde ninja wasn't making fun of her.

Neji stopped his attack for a moment. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

Hinata laughed uneasily. "Yes, of course! I'm sorry for stopping in the middle of pratice."

He shrugged. "That girl's being too noisy," he said. "Let's go practice at home."

Satisfied with Haku's impersonation of Hinata, Ino nodded to herself. "Now…your teacher!"

Haku started to form the hand seal reflexively but stopped when Ino's words registered. He stood frozen for a moment before pulling his hands down.

"What? Not cool?" she asked.

Haku shook his head. "It would be disrespectful."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever, okay, then, I wanted you to do three so just do, uh…Shikamaru!"

The water-nin nodded and transformed into Team Ten's third member. Ino sighed as soon as he'd transformed and muttered, "If that's what it takes to get him to come to training…"

She waved a hand and Haku dispelled his transformation. "Okay, then!" she shouted, trying to get back her steam. "Now, form some clones! Woo hoo! Clones!"

In one of the recreational rooms of the temple's third floor, Nara Shikamaru studied a shogi board as he sat opposite the former Sandaime, Sarutobi. He felt guilty about skipping out that day and he knew he'd get a guilt trip about it later.

_I damn well know what day it is, _Shikamaru thought. _Not like it matters._

Sarutobi yawned and took a sip of his tea. Jasmine tea.

"While we're young, Nara…" the old man said.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and took his turn.

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Upon returning to the temple from his training with Itachi, Haku was surprised to see Sai standing outside the door to the infirmary. The artist-nin stared off into space, and he seemed to be waiting for something. Haku paused for a moment before continuing on his way. If Sai had seen him, he made no move to acknowledge him.

When he rounded the next corner, Haku looked over his shoulder and was relieved to see that he hadn't been followed. He was close to the dining hall when he began to wonder where the black-haired ninja had been since their fight.

_He may have been punished for fighting with me. He may have been called away on a mission._

_Or…_

Haku looked around the dining hall. The temple's residents were abuzz like usual, sharing stories, making jokes, eating, and enjoying each other's company. The scene made Haku feel nostalgic, and he smiled a little as he stopped in the doorway to the dining hall.

He failed to realized the fact that two of his juniors were waiting behind him.

Aka stared at Haku's back and then turned to Zabuza. "Can we push him?" she asked.

Zabuza was still edgy about approaching his slave in any shape or form—literally. "Ask him to get out of the way," he replied. _Come on, Haku, I'd punish you for zoning out in public like this. You're a ninja, remember?_

His 'cousin' pouted and said, "I don't want to talk to him,"

He rolled his eyes. _She's afraid of talking to guys, right? The rape thing? And Haku probably looks like the guys who did it because he's in her family. _But, Zabuza was a kind-hearted, warm, gentle person, so he spared Aka by grabbing her hand and pushing Haku out of the way with his usual amount of force.

"Move."

Haku fell forward but caught himself in time to see a girl, about twelve years old, and a slightly older boy with the same coloring. The boy glared at him and the girl stared openly as she was pulled along, to a table where Genin-level students sat. He bowed slightly to them in apology as they passed him before walking towards the Chuunin students.

He smiled constantly through his dinner. Without knowing why, he was…happy.

_Tomorrow, I'll start training with Team Eight. I've planned to stay at the temple for four weeks of training, so I'll train by myself after that, I suppose, but my real Master will come after that._

_Soon, the sun will rise._

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Haku dreamt about his training with Itachi that night. He'd come along rather well—it helped that the Deep Ice Technique was easy to execute. The matter of using it, though, was much more complex.

Itachi nodded as he stood in front of him, and Haku looked up to nod in return. He raised his hands chest-level and performed the hand seals to create one ice panel, but as soon as the panel appeared another one formed, and another one. Haku was soon surrounded by ice panels, and he saw his reflection in all of them.

"Itachi?" he called out. There was no answer.

When he tried to walk out of the ice-panel ring, more panels formed and he could not escape. He tried to release the jutsu, but none of the mirrors disappeared.

"Haku," he heard in a deep voice.

_Master!_

Haku looked around in search of his Master. "Master?" he called out. When there was no answer, he called in a louder voice, "Master?".

Still, no answer.

He spun around and looked at the mirrors. Where his image had once been, he now saw the students from the temple.

Naruto looked at him with sad eyes. "I owe everything to him. I can't believe the things that I've done…I owe everything to him but I still…"

Sakura held her head in her hands. "I have to go through with this, no matter how much it hurts me, no matter what it does to me, this is what I wanted."

Sasuke sighed. "I miss him, even when he's not gone. Even when he's a few steps away."

Hinata smiled at him sadly. "It's okay to love someone. Love is the best thing, even though it can be hard to understand. Love as many people as you can."

Ino looked away. "You can't always be honest. Sometimes you need to lie to protect yourself."

Shikamaru shook his head. "When they matter to you, you've lost."

He turned and saw his Master in an ice panel. He waited and waited for what he had to say, but even as he stood and stared at the man he cared for the image grew blurry and he couldn't focus his eyes.

"Please, Master…" he said, "please, what do you have to tell me?"

The image came into focus and his Master's eyes grew sharp and cruel. "Turn around," he commanded.

Haku turned just in time to be cut down by a ninja dressed in black. He watched the sky as he died, and Sai leaned over him and smiled.

"Some tools just aren't good for anything." he said in a deep voice, the voice that belonged to his Master.

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Hinata smiled at Haku as he walked up to her team before the morning run. Kiba smiled, too, and pointed to Shino before giving Haku a thumbs-up. Haku gave him a confused look and he explained.

"Mr. My-Dad's-An-Awesome-Ninja-Who-Always-Takes-Me-On-Missions came today!" the dog trained said happily. Shino shrugged.

"It's nice to see you this morning, Shino," Haku said politely.

"Likewise," Shino replied in a soft voice. If he had smiled at Haku, the water-nin didn't know it.

"So," Kiba said, "you're probably wondering what we've got cooked up for you, huh?"

Haku shook his head. "I hadn't even thought of it yet."

"It's good that Shino's here," Hinata said as she stretched. "Otherwise, it wouldn't work out."

Haku waited for further elaboration, but Kiba and Shino had started to jog so he just followed with Hinata.

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End file.
